Ex-SMU Grad Student Arrested for Making Threats Against School Officials
The former student said he wanted to kill SMU’s president and faculty members, also implying he had explosives in his home.
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Dallas, Texas – A former Southern Methodist University (SMU) graduate student was arrested by the SMU Police Department and charged with making terroristic threats against the university’s president and faculty members.
Former engineering grad student Brian Ethan Jackel, 39, was arrested at his home on May 22, reports WFAA.
Investigators reportedly became aware of Jackel’s threats when they were notified by the Dallas VA Police Department.
Jackel, who was also a VA patient at the time, was watching televised coverage of the Allen Premium Outlets mall shooting on May 6 when he mentioned to a fellow patient that he wanted to kill SMU’s president and faculty members, reports the Fort Worth Star Telegram. The suspect also talked about making homemade explosives, giving the impression he might have pipe bombs in his home. He was scheduled to be released on May 18.
SMU PD also searched Jackel’s home, but it’s not clear if any explosives were found. SMU PD worked with other law enforcement to bolster campus security and then locate Jackel.
He was booked into the Dallas County jail and charged with a felony count of making a terrorist threat. His bail was set at $50,000, reports MSN.
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About the Author
Robin Hattersley, Editor-in-Chief
Robin has been covering the security and campus law enforcement industries since 1998 and is a specialist in school, university and hospital security, public safety and emergency management, as well as emerging technologies and systems integration. She joined CS in 2005 and has authored award-winning editorial on campus law enforcement and security funding, officer recruitment and retention, access control, IP video, network integration, event management, crime trends, the Clery Act, Title IX compliance, sexual assault, dating abuse, emergency communications, incident management software and more. Robin has been featured on national and local media outlets and was formerly associate editor for the trade publication Security Sales & Integration. She obtained her undergraduate degree in history from California State University, Long Beach.
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