The Quad on the Hyde Park Campus of the University of Chicago is nearly deserted on Nov. 30 after the school shut down amid a threat of imminent violence. (Getty)
A 21-year-old Black man has been arrested for making a threat to kill white people at the University of Chicago in retaliation for the police killing of Laquan McDonald.
The Associated Press reported that Jabari R. Dean threatened to kill one white person for every shot fired at McDonald, who was shot 16 times by Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke.
Dean, a freshman electrical engineering student, was arrested Monday. According to NPR, he is being charged with transmitting a threat in interstate commerce and could face up to five years in jail.
NPR’s Cheryl Cole said, “Prosecutors say in a Thanksgiving weekend posting on a social media website, Dean stated he would execute approximately 16 students or staff members at the University of Chicago campus and die ‘killing any number of white policemen that I can in the process.’”
Dean’s threat led to classes being cancelled on the university campus. He posted the threat on Saturday, a day after the video of McDonald’s shooting was released to the media.
According to The AP, a tip to the FBI led to Dean’s arrest. The tipster sent the FBI a screenshot of Dean’s message and they were able to track him down online. Dean told agents that he posted the message, but then took it down. A prosecutor said although the message mentioned three guns, Dean appeared to pose no threat.
His message stated:
Sketch of Jabari Dean in courtroom Nov. 30th.
“This is my only warning. At 10 a.m. on Monday mourning (sic) I am going to the campus quad of the University of Chicago. I will be armed with a M-4 Carbine and 2 Desert Eagles all fully loaded. I will execute aproximately (sic) 16 white male students and or staff, which is the same number of time (sic) Mcdonald (sic) was killed. I then will die killing any number of white policemen that I can in the process. This is not a joke. I am to do my part to rid the world of the white devils. I expect you to do the same….”
After the threat was made, university officials sent a message to students who were on campus on Sunday and they quickly hurried home.
“I work in the campus coffee shop and when people got the notice (announcements and online) they really cleared out of here immediately,” said Tyler Kissinger, student body president, in an AP interview.
Van Dyke, the Chicago police officer who shot McDonald, has been charged with first-degree murder. If convicted, he faces at least 20 years in jail. Van Dyke made an appearance in court Monday, according to the AP. A judge set his bond at $1.5 million. Van Dyke was able to pay the $150,000 needed to secure his release and is now free.
