It is reported that a shooting threat was made by a gamer playing at the Call of Duty 4 game on X-Box Live. The incident resulted in the arrest of the allegedly would be 'shooting' student at the Frostburg State University.

A local newspaper, The Cumberland Times, reported that 19 year old student, Allieu Shaw, while playing the Call of Duty 4 game live with other gamers around the country, allegedly made a threat over the Internet of 'shooting up the school'. When noticing the alleged threat, another player contacted the police department. The local police department and Frostburg State University staff were notified of the matter and then students, staff and faculty were alerted of the possible threat.

Members of the police department, together with Microsoft and X-Box representatives, managed to track Shaw to his University hall room by his Internet address. Following the location of his room, Shaw was taken away in handcuffs. Shaw was taken into custody and apparently a police search of his room did not produce evidence of anything suspicious or a weapon. It is reported that court documents portrayed that Shaw conveyed to police officers that "he was joking and had no intention of following through with the threats".

It appears that after this incident, Shaw could now be facing a maximum jail sentence of one year in conjunction with, or the possibility of a $5,000 penalty. In the meantime, Shaw faces an interim suspension from the University.

Following various shooting incidents and acts of terror around the country and the world, this alleged online shooting threat occurrence suggests to all players that one should be very careful with messages that are sent out over the Internet and on live Internet games. It is clear that even if threats are intended in jest, another person may take the threat seriously.