Kent State student William Koberna is under arrest after making a threat to “shoot up” the university on the microblogging site Twitter, police say.
Koberna, 19, tweeted that he planned to “shoot up” Kent State, a threat that would undoubtedly be taken seriously even outside the wake of the deadly shooting in Colorado at a movie theater that left 12 dead and dozens more critically injured.
The exact wording of the Kent State student’s tweet was not released nor, at this point, has his official Twitter account where the alleged threat was made been located. It should be noted that following the horrific incident in Aurora, many (including the families of the victims) have fought to keep the shooter’s name out of the press , and feel that in high-profile spree killings such as the Dark Knight Rises massacre, perpetrators should be unable to use such an event to become famous or gain attention.
Kent State University officials confirmed that Koberna is said to have sent the threatening tweet on July 25th, and that shortly thereafter, a search warrant was executed at his parents’ home in Brunswick, where the 19-year-old lives.
Koberna was arrested at his parents’ home, and Kent State University President Lester Lefton released a statement following the student’s arrest:
“Any threat to our campus community is taken seriously and immediately investigated… Our students, employees, and all those who come to campus should know that their safety is our top priority.”
Koberna was charged with felony inducing panic, as well as aggravated menacing. In addition, he faces suspension or dismissal from Kent State.
