An individual who allegedly made threats against some in the UCLA community, which forced the university to cancel in-person classes for the day, has been taken into custody.
Top UCLA officials informed the study body in a letter on Tuesday that law enforcement officers in Colorado apprehended the individual they say made threats against some people in the UCLA community on Monday.
Suzanne Seplow, assistant vice chancellor of student development and health, and Michael Deluca, assistant vice chancellor for campus life, said the university will return to in-person instruction on Wednesday. They also said counseling is available to students who are in need of “additional care.”
“The threats made yesterday were frightening for many of us and caused our community to feel vulnerable at an already challenging time,” the officials said in the letter.
“These are unsettling times and your well-being is a top priority, so please do not hesitate to reach out for help if you need it,” they later added.
UCLA canceled in-person classes on Tuesday after a former instructor threatened members of the university community in a video. The video was titled “UCLA Philosophy Mass Shooting,” according to The Los Angeles Times, and reportedly included video from the 2017 mass shooting at a Las Vegas music festival and footage from the movie “Zero Day,” which has connections to the 1999 mass shooting Columbine High School.
The video is no longer posted online, CBSLA reported.
The Times reported that former philosophy postdoctoral researcher Matthew Harris was taken into custody in the case. They report he also posted an 800-page manifesto that included threats targeting members of the philosophy department.