The Virginia Tech Police Department and the FBI continue to investigate threatening postings made over YouTube and via e-mail this week, as rumors of more specific threats circulate.
Related: SGA President Brandon Carroll's letter to the editor
University president Charles Steger sent an e-mail to the Tech community yesterday afternoon. The message was regarding an individual who has been creating threatening posts on YouTube as well as sending threatening e-mails to members of the Tech community, including students and university employees.
Steger’s e-mail stated that there have been many rumors circulating about a potential specific threat.
“The individual responsible has made threats about March 18 as a day of possible action when he might commit harm. Given all that this university has endured, I can understand how this can be very upsetting to the university community,” the e-mail said.
The Collegiate Times obtained a copy of an e-mail forwarded through multiple listservs and Facebook groups that addressed the alleged threat.
The e-mail referenced an incident that occurred in the apartment complex of the sender’s friend, Foxridge.
The sender wrote, “two nights ago, someone tried to break in the apartment right across from (the sender’s friend). The people that live there have also been getting death threats that is assumed to come from that Italian guy that’s been making those Youtube videos.”
The e-mail went on to say, “my friend talked to Blacksburg and VT police and they’re taking this guy’s threats more seriously this time because he has given a threat with a specific date saying stuff like ‘3/18 is going to be the next 4/16.’”
Steger’s e-mail Wednesday afternoon stated that many of the e-mail and Facebook notes that are currently circulating such information are “making their own conclusions not based on factual information.
“People are linking local events, such as alleged break-ins, with these threatening posts and e-mails, which are not borne out by the facts. All the indicators reviewed by law enforcement do not point to an immediate threat,” Steger’s e-mail said.
Although Steger’s e-mail on Wednesday stated that the university would be open as normal on Thursday, many of the persons who had forwarded the original e-mail included warnings to their friends such as, “please stay safe,” “I’m not going to class Thursday,” and “I’m encouraging you to skip classes.”
On March 10, over spring break, Tech police sent an e-mail to students informing them of the original investigation.
Since Friday, March 5, YouTube postings that made “numerous threats against the Tech community,” according to the March 10 e-mail, were noticed on the Web site. These threats allegedly referenced the April 16, 2007 shootings and shooter Seung-Hui Cho. Tech police believe the same user made multiple accounts on the Web site to harass the Tech community. The person’s posts originated in Italy.
Wednesday’s e-mail letter from Steger stated “the individual responsible has continued to send e-mails to students and university employees over the last several days.”
It also confirmed “university police have been following all leads and continue to believe these threats emanate from Italy.”
“The police continue to work with Virginia State Police investigators and the FBI. The FBI is our liaison with Italian authorities. While we take all threats seriously, these law enforcement authorities do not believe these communications represent a credible threat,” Steger’s e-mail read.
In the March 10 e-mail, Tech police said it is “confident” these postings are from the same user who posted similar threats in late October.
In October, a YouTube account called NextKillerVirgTech showed in its commenting history a series of comments on various videos pertaining to Tech, including footage of Cho.
YouTube has since deleted that account.
However, it appears that the same user is continuing to create fictitious YouTube accounts. The user also continued to send e-mails from fictitious Tech e-mail addresses and AOL accounts.
A person claiming to be this user attempted to contact the Collegiate Times last Thursday morning, March 11.
The sender confirmed in that e-mail that the posts originate from Italy and that “im not sad for my work and insults the vt community.”
The sender stated in the e-mail he made the posts because “im only a sad guy.”
There were no date-specific threats included in that e-mail, which the CT initially turned over to Tech police.
Steger’s e-mail asked students to report threatening e-mail correspondence, social networking postings, and activity on campus to the Tech police.
“There has been and will continue to be enhanced police presence throughout the university,” Steger’s e-mail said. “Because of the elevated concern expressed by the university community,
I believe that an overabundance of caution is appropriate.”
Tech police continue to investigate the situation. Police recommended students to stay away from threatening social networking posts and avoid responding to such threats.
Tech police also recommend against forwarding e-mails containing such threats to friends or colleagues unless the information is factually correct.
Steger’s e-mail encouraged students to contact Tech police if they observe behaviors that cause concern for their safety or that of the community.
“I know that all this can and will be upsetting to our community,” Steger’s e-mail said. “Report your concerns, but don’t be misled by speculative information or rumors.”