A 27-year-old man, Michael Pengchung Lee, was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly threatening a mass shooting at the University of Arizona. Lee, who identified as an “incel” and a fan of Elliot Rodger, a notorious misogynist who killed six people in 2014, made the threat in a Snapchat group chat under the screenname “asianluluu.” In the chat, Lee wrote, “The day of Retribution is upon us, I shall get revenge on all the chads and stacies!!” He specified that he planned to carry out the attack with an AR-15 assault-style rifle, stating that it was easily obtainable in Arizona. Lee targeted UofA students in fraternities and sororities, referring to them as “Chads” and “Stacies” in incel terminology.
The threat came to light when someone in the Snapchat group reported it to campus police, who then contacted the FBI. Agents discovered that Lee’s vehicle had been in the vicinity of the university’s Greek Row on multiple occasions in October. Lee was subsequently pulled over for speeding on Monday, and during questioning, he admitted to making the threats. He claimed to have been frustrated with his home life and said he was no longer associated with the incel community. Lee had previously been arrested on drug and weapons possession charges.
Lee has been booked into the Pima County Jail on a state charge of making a terroristic threat and is being held on a $7,500 bond. He also faces a federal charge of interstate communications containing threats to injure another, which carries a maximum sentence of five years. The University of Arizona has stated that there is no current or pending threat to students or faculty, and no other suspects are being sought.
Please note that the information provided is based on a federal complaint and may be subject to further investigation and legal proceedings.
