Police have released more details about their investigation into the threats made by Hunter Park—threats that were directed at black students at the University of Missouri. From STLToday.com:
MU Campus Police Officer Dustin Heckmaster said in a probable cause statement Wednesday that he recognized the wording in one of the threatening messages — "Some of you are alright. Don't go to campus tomorrow" — as the same wording from a posting tied to Chris Harper-Mercer, the Oct. 1 shooter at the Umpqua Community College in rural Oregon.
When police interrogated him and noted the similarities between the language he used and the Oregon shooter, he acknowledged they were the same:
"Hunter smiled and stated, 'I was quoting something.'"
Heckmaster asked if he was quoting the Umpqua shooter. Park replied, "mmhmm."
Heckmaster asked him why he had quoted the phrase. "I don't know I just .... deep interest."
A disturbing development in this case, to say the least. Both Yik Yak and AT&T cooperated with police requests to track down the anonymous post as quickly as possible and it’s a good thing they moved so fast. Police did not find any weapons in Park’s possession, but that probably is of little comfort to the students who were the targets of his online threats. Police say Park admitted the posts were “inappropriate.” You think?