NCAAF teams
ESPN 6y

Arrest made after mass shooting threat at Penn State's Beaver Stadium

College Football, Penn State Nittany Lions

The Penn State University Police Department announced Thursday that it has made an arrest after an investigation into a threat via Twitter vowing to carry out a mass shooting during a football game at Beaver Stadium.

Charles Thomas Hitechew, 22, of Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, was charged with two counts of terroristic threats and was arraigned Thursday before being released on unsecured bail of $15,000. A preliminary hearing is set for Wednesday. 

The investigation was carried out by university police and the FBI.

"Penn State takes every threat seriously. The safety of our students, faculty, staff and visitors is our first priority," University Park Police Chief Keith Morris said in a statement. "An investigation was initiated as soon as we were made aware of the threat, and investigators worked diligently to identify a suspect and make an arrest."

The tweet, allegedly made by Hitechew, came from the since-deleted anonymous account @DanielTheDuck8. It was posted on Aug. 8 and stated: "I have decided that I'm going to commit the biggest mass shooting in history of the world, killing thousands of fans in beaver stadium during one of the games next year."

The tweet included a profane hashtag directed at Penn State and tagged numerous Penn State-related accounts, including the football team's account and one belonging to the State College Police Department.

The tweet was reported to authorities, who began the investigation.

Fans entering games at Beaver Stadium undergo security screenings using metal detection wands and all items carried inside are subject to inspection. In addition, backpacks, bags and purses are not permitted in the stadium.

^ Back to Top ^