On the same day that Tyler Robinson was formally charged with the murder of Charlie Kirk, a suspect was taken into custody for allegedly making a threat of terrorism against Utah Valley University, where Kirk was killed, according to local authorities.
“There were clear and specific threats of violence and Utah Valley University was specifically mentioned,” said Sergeant Skyler Talbot, public information officer for the Summit County Sheriff’s Office of the video. The arrest took place on Tuesday in Summit County, northeast of Utah County, where the university is located.
This news comes as UVU students somberly return to campus for classes on Wednesday, a week after Kirk’s death. The campus was a scene of collective mourning. Students quietly gathered around the fenced-off courtyard, where Kirk was killed. Nearby was a memorial where students and faculty laid down flowers and spoke of how safe they had felt at the university.
On Tuesday, the FBI alerted the Summit County Sheriff’s Office of a 70-second video posted online Monday night in which a person named Blake Francis Rogers allegedly made threats against Utah Valley University, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Rogers, 20, allegedly told investigators it was a “joke.”
According to the affidavit, Rogers said in the video: “I am now beginning my odyssey to Utah Valley University, to fulfill my lifelong duty, of finally killing woke. If you are receiving this video, it means that I did not make it back on this trip, and I was defeated by my mortal enemy, the woke mind virus at Utah Valley University, where Charlie Kirk was assassinated.”
“I hope by seeing this video, you all can understand what made me perform such actions, and can view me as the hero that I know I am. I would like to request a gold statue be erected in place of Mario the Dragon, on the crossing of Market and I think 31st Street, in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. Thank you all,” Rogers continued.
Rogers attends school in Pennsylvania but had recently traveled to Utah, according to Talbot. He was staying with family in Park City.
The affidavit says investigators discovered the residence where Rogers was staying and interviewed him.
When detectives asked Rogers about the video, he allegedly admitted to making it and said it was “posted as a joke on an unlisted YouTube video and sent to 12-15 people,” according to the affidavit. It further notes that Rogers “admitted to leaning to the left but did not claim any particular party,” and said he used the word “woke” as “a vague idea.”
Several agencies were under alert for a possible violent attack at the UVU campus, according to the affidavit, which found probable cause to charge Rogers with making a threat of terrorism, causing an emergency agency to act.
“Blake posted a threat involving bodily injury, death, or substantial property damage and he caused an official or volunteer agency organized to deal with emergencies to take action due to the actor’s conduct posing a serious and substantial risk to the general public,” it said.
A magistrate judge ruled he can post $1,000 bail, according to court papers. Rogers has no prior violent offenses, according to the Public Safety Assessment Report.
“We do at this time believe that this was an isolated incident. There’s no indication that there were any other individuals involved,” said Talbot.
“We don’t believe any significant steps were taken toward carrying out the threats,” he added.
Formal charges have not been filed yet. The Summit County Attorney’s Office declined to comment.
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