In USA, threat to ‘shoot every black person I see’

The University of Missouri protest that brought down the school’s president may have claimed another faculty member-this one on the side of protesters. “But there’s a point where discussion can go too far – and the threats that were posted on Yik Yak last night were both upsetting and completely unacceptable”. A dispatcher at the university’s police department says more information will be released later Wednesday.

The university has been convulsed by student protests at the handling of race complaints that led to Monday’s resignations of its president and the Columbia campus’ chancellor.

The man, 19-year-old Hunter Park, is suspected of having made threats Tuesday on the anonymous messaging service Yik Yak. The student, who goes to a sister campus, has not been formally charged.

Park was arrested at a residence hall in Rolla, Missouri, almost 100 miles away from the Columbia campus.

“I’m going to stand my ground tomorrow and shoot every black person I see”, one message said.

Yik Yak spokeswoman Hilary McQuaide said the company had worked with police to identify Park saying the company may do so “when a post poses a risk of imminent harm”.

In this November 9, 2015 frame from video provided by Mark Schierbecker, Melissa Click, right, an assistant professor in Missouri’s communications department, confronts Schierbecker and later calls for “muscle” to help remove him from the protest area in Columbia, Mo. He added that a few students said they didn’t feel safe because of threats on social media and may not come to campus tomorrow.

#PrayforMizzou began trending on Twitter Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, as students and people around campus detailed potentially risky demonstrations.

Mr Wolfe stepped down after the university’s American football team joined the cause, threatening not to play until action was taken to address racial issues on the mostly white campus. Students were celebrating the resignation of school President Tim Wolfe.

David Wallace, a spokesman for the student government group Missouri Students Association, said the group asked university officials to cancel classes Wednesday in light of the threats.

“I support the students who are still camping out and fighting for racial justice on campus”, Elisa Glick, an associate professor of English and Women’s and Gender Studies, told Reuters in an email.