Man arrested for threatening to bomb event honoring black students at Harvard University
A man from Arizona was arrested for allegedly threatening to bomb a Harvard University event which was honoring black students in the campus for their achievements.
The 24-year-old man, Nicholas Zuckerman, is accused of publishing a series of eery posts on the university's official Instagram account in May 2017, according to CNN.
Massachusetts prosecutors said that Zuckerman has been charged on two counts of transmitting a threat in interstate and foreign commerce to injure a person. Zuckerman will reportedly appear in a federal court in Boston at a later date.
Zuckerman allegedly threatened the prestigious institution when it was preparing to organize its first commencement ceremony, particularly recognizing the achievements of black graduates.
Over 300 students and 500 guests had registered to attend the event at the time Zuckerman made the threat. The event, which was optional, was eventually attended by hundreds of people.
Reports state that just days before the commencement of the event, Zuckerman allegedly, in a comment on Harvard's Instagram feed, called for a shooting to take place during the ceremony.
"If the blacks only ceremony happens, then I encourage violence and death at it. I’m thinking two automatics with extended clips. Just so no n***** gets away,” the post read.
Zuckerman also stands accused of making multiple bomb threats as he wrote "#bombharvard and end their pro-black agenda" on Instagram. He also wrote "#bomharvard" to other Instagram users' post at least 11 times within four minutes, according to CNN.
His posts were reported to the Harvard University police by an Instagram user who was concerned.
The US Attorney for the District of Massachusetts said that the university police then referred the case to federal authorities.
Similar commencement ceremonies for black, LGBT, Asian, Latinx and Native American students have been held by other universities like Columbia and Stanford.
A charge of transmitting threats to injure a person carries a maximum prison sentence of at least five years and a fine of $250,000 under US law.