Man arrested for planning mass shootings at Brown and UConn

A man was arrested last week for second-degree threatening, second-degree breach of peace and second-degree failure to appear, and he had visited Brown University and the University of Connecticut to plan mass shootings there, authorities said, according to The Hartford Courant.

The failure to appear charge against Dennis “D.J.” Hernandez relates to a charge he faces stemming from a missed court appearance on July 7. He was scheduled to answer to a charge tied to an arrest in March after he took an Uber to ESPN’s headquarters on Middle Street in Bristol, Conn., and allegedly threw a brick onto its campus with a note attached that said it was about time the company realized the effect “media has on all family members,” police wrote in the incident report.

Instead of attending court earlier this month, a person close to Hernandez told police, he allegedly drove to UConn and Brown to “map out the schools,” according to Bristol police reports. The person who shared the texts “surmised” that he was planning to commit a shooting, police wrote.

“UConn program is going to pay unless I have a package deal and I get my estate and every single thing I have worked for,” Hernandez allegedly wrote in text messages that were reportedly shared with police. “The coaches and university officials want to be selfish and selective about [expletive], well I am too. Very. They are going to get surprised. Love you, I would recommend remaining away from there because when I go I’m taking down everything And don’t give a [expletive] who gets caught in the cross fire [sic]. I’ve died for wears [sic] now and now it’s other peoples [sic] turn. I’m prepared to give my life.”

“Despite reports of an alleged visit to Providence, our investigation to date indicates that Hernandez has not been on Brown’s campus in recent weeks,” a spokesperson for Brown said Tuesday. “Given the nature of the alleged threats, we remain in contact with law enforcement partners in Connecticut taking the lead on the investigation.”

Hernandez was the quarterbacks coach at Brown for one season during the 2011–12 academic year, the spokesperson said, adding that police at the university “implemented protective measures immediately” upon being made aware of the alleged threats.

Michael Enright, a spokesperson for UConn, said the UConn Police Department was aware of initial information related to the subsequent arrest of Hernandez by the Bristol Police Department.

Hernandez is in custody. He is the the brother of former National Football League player Aaron Hernandez, who died by suicide while in prison for murder.