Feds: Woman Who Threatened Mass Shooting at Gateway College Sentenced

An East Haven woman who plead guilty to threatening a "violent attack" on a local college last year will now spend another several months in jail for the incident after receiving her sentencing Monday.

Amanda Bowden, 21, formerly of East Haven, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to approximately 10 months of imprisonment, time already served, followed by three years of supervised release, for threatening to carry out a violent attack at Gateway Community College in New Haven.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between approximately Feb. 4 and Feb. 16, 2013, Bowden made "numerous telephonic threats, initially through text messaging with a cooperating witness and subsequently through text messaging and verbal conversations with an undercover law enforcement agent, discussing her plans to commit a suicidal mass shooting and bombing at Gateway Community College in New Haven," Tom Carson, communications manager for the United States Attorney's Office of Connecticut, stated in a press release.

Carson added that in these messages, "Bowden claimed to possess firearms and to have constructed at least two napalm-based bombs at her residence."

Bowden was arrested on Feb. 19, 2013. On that date, investigating agents conducted a court-authorized search of Bowden's East Haven residence. No firearms or explosive devices were found during the search.

On April 25, 2013, Bowden pleaded guilty to one count of false information and hoaxes. 

Bowden was detained after her arrest until May 14, 2013, when she was released on bond into a Salvation Army program in Hartford that included mental health treatment. 

She was returned to federal custody on July 11, 2013, for violating the conditions of her release. 

"Upon her release from federal custody Monday, Bowden was transferred to a State of Connecticut inpatient mental health facility for further treatment," Carson stated. 

He added that Bowden's internet usage will be monitored by the U.S. Probation Office during her term of supervised release.