Univ. Of Md. Student Sentenced To 3 Years Supervised Probation For Threatening Campus Shooting
UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (WJZ)-- A student threatened to go on a shooting rampage at the University of Maryland College Park. That student learned his punishment for the crime on Thursday.
Monique Griego has details on the sentence.
On Thursday, a judge in the Prince George's County Mental Health Court sentenced him to three years supervised probation with a six-month suspended sentence.
In March, a former University of Maryland College Park student sent the campus into a panic after he went online and anonymously threatened to go on a shooting rampage.
The 19-year-old posted this message on social media: "I will be on a shooting rampage tomorrow on campus," "Stay away from the mall tomorrow at 1:30," and "Hopefully, I kill enough people to make it to national news."
"It did cause panic and it should have," Angela Alsobrooks, the state's attorney, said. "This was a frightening incident."
In August, Song pleaded guilty to several counts, including disturbing the peace at school.
He blamed the threat on mental illness, saying he was undergoing a lot of stress.
"I think the judge in this case was careful to sentence him to mental health court to make sure that he is able to receive the treatment that he needs," Alsobrooks said. "Ultimately, we want to make sure that he is no longer a threat to our community."
Alert students tipped off campus police to the threats. They used the Internet to track Song down to his dorm room. Police did not find any weapons on his or his parents' property.
"We can take nothing for granted," Alsobrooks said. "When you threaten to kill people and threaten to exact massive destruction, we take that seriously."
In court, Song said he never meant to hurt anyone and that he had learned his lesson. He also said he was sorry for his actions.
Because there is no specific law targeting people who make threats online, prosecutors are now pushing legislation to change that.
