 "Photo: Michelle Connolly")
University Police charged a UT student with making "Virginia Tech-style" terroristic threats on campus Saturday.
UTPD arrested economics sophomore Justin McCelvey Saturday morning, after two of his peers called the University's behavior concerns advice line. Officials accused McCelvey of making terroristic threats, a third degree felony. If convicted, he could face two to 10 years in prison. UTPD Chief Robert Dahlstrom said McCelvey is temporarily suspended and banned from campus as of Monday but has the right to appeal the decision.
"I'm just very disappointed that anybody in any situation would make statements like that," Dahlstrom said. "They seemed extremely direct to me and very much to the point."
McCelvey walked around campus with a friend, and posted fliers for a local band on Friday when their conversation took a turn, according to the arrest affidavit. McCelvey told his friend, "College ruined my life" and "I wish I could go into a classroom and shoot everybody." He continued to say, "I was almost the second sniper on the Tower" and "I wish I could sit on top of a bomb and let it go off and blow up everybody."
The friend told McCelvey, "It's kind of fucked up that you could say that," the affidavit said. The friend told police that McCelvey responded with a nonchalant "I know." The friend said the conversation continued for another 20 to 30 minutes and that he found it disturbing. The friend told police he never saw a gun, but McCelvey said he keeps a shotgun in his truck, the affidavit said.
McCelvey's roommate also said he was worried McCelvey would hurt himself or others, the affidavit said. Police came to their room in University Towers on Friday to question him, but he could not be found, Dahlstrom said. He said officers came back the next day with a warrant and arrested him. Dahlstrom said they know McCelvey was in possession of a weapon, but he did not bring it on University property.
A student in McCelvey's speech class said she was shocked when she heard about the arrest. She saw McCelvey in class Monday but did not suspect anything was wrong.
"You would never expect it from Justin," she said. "I looked up to him and thought he was so cool. He was really chill, mellow, never awkward or odd. I never thought he would say those words."
She said she believed McCelvey did not mean what he said but did not want her name printed because she is concerned for her safety. She said she knows McCelvey owns guns because he talks about hunting in class.
"When people get pissed off, they say things they don't mean," she said. "But he does seem like the guy who if the spark is lit, he'll blow."
Dahlstrom praised the University's behavior hot line and said it is the best prevention method available to UTPD. A call to the behavior concerns line also led to the April 15 arrest of engineering sophomore Jason Liao, who allegedly possessed a gun on campus.
"I think it's proved itself," he said. "The whole purpose of the behavior concerns advice line is not just the criminal part; it's trying to catch small red flags in advance before bad things happen."
Dahlstrom said UTPD would not have filed charges if they did not think the comments were serious.
"Those that heard him make the comments, there's no doubt in their mind that [the comments] were serious," Dahlstrom said. "Even if a student is saying that in a joking manner, probably the same thing is going to happen. You don't joke about people's lives."
Be the first to comment on this article!