BU student allegedly threatened shootings

Title

BU student allegedly threatened shootings

Description

<b>Police plan to arrest part-time MET student today</b>

By: Jenna Nierstedt
Posted: 4/19/07

A part-time Boston University student allegedly threatened to recreate the Virginia Tech shootings at Wheelock College late Monday, according to police, who took the man to a hospital and plan to arrest him today.

Andrew Rosenblum, 20, allegedly sent online messages to a woman he had dated in 2005, threatening to kill her and her friends at Wheelock, a private college of mostly women in Boston, according to the Boston Police Department.

The woman received multiple instant messages "with some very threatening words" late Monday night, according to the BPD, the same day a Virginia Tech senior shot and killed 32 people and himself on the campus. Shortly after receiving the messages, the woman placed an emergency call to the BPD.

BPD immediately notified the Needham Police Department, whose officers picked up Rosenblum at his parents&#39; house in Needham early Tuesday morning. NPD Lieutenant John Kraemer said the department turned over custody and care of Rosenblum to Newton-Wellesley Hospital.

Hospital representatives said Rosenblum&#39;s name did not appear in their database, but they said it is possible he was placed in the psychiatric ward, where patients are not registered in the hospital&#39;s system.

"The victim in question did exactly the right thing in saving and printing the threatening messages and notifying police immediately," said Jake Wark, a spokesman for the Suffolk County District Attorney&#39;s Office.

Wark said the BPD received an arrest warrant for Rosenblum, and upon arrest, Rosenblum will be charged with threat to do bodily harm. He will be brought to BPD District B-2 of Roxbury, where he will be arraigned in the Roxbury Division of the Boston Municipal Court Department. Police said they hope to arraign Rosenblum today.

BU officials confirmed that Rosenblum is a registered part-time student at Metropolitan College and is taking two courses this semester, although he is not seeking a degree.

Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore acknowledged Rosenblum&#39;s situation but declined to comment.

A Wheelock statement mentioned its representatives attended Tuesday&#39;s meeting with other universities and law enforcement agencies to discuss campus security measures for Boston schools.

"We are continuing to assure our students and faculty and staff that our campus continues to be safe, and that obviously, campus safety continues to be paramount," said Wheelock Public Relations Director Rochelle Rosen.

Rosenblum hosts a video-game review show on an MTV website, but he is not directly employed by MTV, said company public relations representative Jennifer DeGuzman. Segments from Rosenblum&#39;s show appeared on an MTV.com video-game show June, 30, 2006 and Aug. 25, 2006, DeGuzman said.

"I think people are reading into this story and automatically assuming that he&#39;s a host on MTV," DeGuzman said.

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Original Source:<a href=http://media.www.dailyfreepress.com/media/storage/paper87/news/2007/04/19/News/Bu.Student.Allegedly.Threatened.Shootings-2852999.shtml> The Daily Free Press - April 19, 2007</a>

Creator

Jenna Nierstedt

Publisher

The Daily Free Press

Date

2007-08-14

Contributor

Sara Hood

Rights

Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>

Language

eng

Citation

Jenna Nierstedt, “BU student allegedly threatened shootings,” The April 16 Archive, accessed March 29, 2024, https://www.april16archive.org/index.php/items/show/1040.