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US student threatens 'massacre'
25/07/2007 17:34 - (SA)
Illinois - A Southern Illinois University student was arrested after authorities say he threatened a "murderous rampage" similar to the Virginia Tech massacre that left 32 people and the gunman dead.
A gun dealer had alerted federal authorities about the man, saying he had seemed overly anxious to get a shipment of semiautomatic weapons, according to an affidavit filed in court by a police detective.
Olutosin Oduwole was charged on Tuesday with attempting to make a terrorist threat, a felony.
According to the affidavit, the 22-year-old student wrote a note demanding that money be deposited to a PayPal account, threatening that "if this account doesn't reach $50 000 in the next 7 days then a murderous rampage similar to the VT shooting will occur at another highly populated university. This is not a joke!"
Authorities found the note on Friday in Oduwole's car on campus, said university spokesperson Greg Conroy. Police also said they found a loaded gun in Oduwole's dorm room.
According to a search warrant, police also seized a picture of Oduwole flashing gang signs, a camcorder and US and Nigerian passports. The court documents did not list the name on those passports.
'Anxious and impatient'
The detective said in the affidavit that Oduwole had recently bought three .38-caliber semiautomatic guns online but had not yet received them, and also had ordered a .45-caliber semiautomatic gun similar to an Uzi.
A gun dealer alerted the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives because Oduwole "appeared very anxious to get these firearms and seemed very impatient", the affidavit said.
Oduwole remained jailed on Wednesday in lieu of $1m bail.
Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville is about 32km northeast of St Louis and has an enrolment of about 13 500 students.
- AP
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