Police Department Responds to Threat Directed Toward ACM

On August 19, 2026, the Cumberland City Police Department became aware of a social media post in which an individual made statements threatening mass violence at Allegany College of Maryland. Upon becoming aware of the post, Cumberland Police Department immediately initiated an investigation. The investigation was conducted with assistance from C3I Investigations and the Allegany County Narcotics Task Force. Through a rapid and coordinated investigative effort, officers identified the individual responsible for making the threats as Donald Matthew Monteiro Lima, 25, of Cumberland, Maryland. An application for charges was completed, and an arrest warrant was subsequently issued. Officers located Lima and arrested him without incident. Lima is currently in police custody awaiting his initial appearance before a District Court Commissioner.

Arrested: Donald Matthew Monteiro Lima (25), Cumberland, MD
Charge: Threat of Mass Violence

The Cumberland Police Department wants to emphasize that there was never an actual threat to the students, faculty, staff, or visitors at Allegany College of Maryland. The individual responsible for the social media post was identified and taken into custody as a result of the immediate response and investigation by law enforcement.

Chief James R. Pyles stated: “The Cumberland Police Department takes any threat of violence extremely seriously. Our officers responded immediately and worked closely with our law enforcement partners to quickly identify the individual responsible for this post. I want to assure the community, particularly the students, faculty, and staff of Allegany College of Maryland, that there was never an actual threat to the college. Our rapid response demonstrates our commitment to protecting our community and addressing threats before they can escalate.”

The Cumberland Police Department would like to thank the C3I Investigative Unit and the Allegany County Narcotics Task Force for their assistance and cooperation during this investigation. The Cumberland Police Department encourages anyone who becomes aware of a potential threat of violence to immediately report it to law enforcement. Individuals should never assume that a threatening social media post is a joke or harmless statement. The investigation remains ongoing, and additional information will be released when appropriate.