Man Who Allegedly Threatened To 'Shoot Every Black Person I See' Near Mizzou Arrested

By Emma G. Gallegos in News on Nov 11, 2015 4:29PM

Hunter Park (University Of Missouri Police Department)

Early Wednesday morning campus police at Mizzou arrested a man who they say posted messages on social media threatening to "shoot every black person I see." The threats posted on the social media site Yik Yak last night have spooked students on campus, particularly black students who say they've faced racist blowback in the wake of protests on campus.

Hunter Park, 19, was arrested at 1:50 a.m. this morning on suspicion of making terrorist threats by the University of Missouri Police, according to a release from the department. Park, who is not a student and lives nearly two hours south of the campus, is accused of posting scary messages that were visible to Mizzou students. Police say he wasn't near campus when they apprehended him. The threats have since been removed from Yik Yak, though students saved screenshots:

Protesters with the group Concerned Student 1950 have been protesting racial harassment on the University of Missouri's flagship campus in Columbia. And since protests ramped up—scoring a high-profile victory with the resignation of the system's University of Missouri System President Tim Wolfe—they've continued to experience racial harassment. One student told Fusion that a man walked by tent city where protesters set up and shouted "White power!"

On Monday, protesters drew attention for their tactics of shutting out the press. Melissa Click, a professor who asked for "muscle" to deal with a student photojournalist trying to photograph the protest, apologized for her actions and stepped down from her post at the J-school (she is still employed by the Communication department).

But Tuesday night, tensions on campus were particularly high with the social media threats. Students were encouraging one another to walk in groups. The Los Angeles Times reports the Legion of Black Collegians canceled last night's meeting.

University officials encouraged students to report threats, but many students said they didn't feel like the university was keeping them in the loop as rumors were flying or doing enough to keep them safe. For instance, there was a rumor, since debunked by police, that KKK were targeting the campus.

University of Missouri officials said in a statement: "Safety is the university's top priority, and we are working hard to assure that the campus remains safe while information is obtained and confirmed."

The campus was eerily quiet this morning: