authorities investigate threatening messages at uiuc

Got word of some recent disturbing activity involving threatening, racist messages at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. Here's an email that was sent to the campus community from the Chief of Police, explaining the situation:

To the Campus Community:

I write to ask for your help in identifying the people who wrote
threatening messages in a campus building earlier this month. It appears
two or more individuals wrote a series of messages to each other on a
male bathroom stall in Everitt Lab. The messages included anti-Asian and
anti-Caucasian language. One of the messages in the exchange states that
the writer plans to kill Asians in Everitt Lab on Nov. 16, leading to a
response from another individual that he or she would be there to shoot
the Caucasian individual.

We have been aggressively investigating this case, including conferring
with the Federal Bureau of Investigations, in attempts to assess the
credibility of the threat. Although this may stand as only a disturbing
and anonymous exchange between individuals, we are compelled to inform
the campus community. If, through investigative efforts, the credibility
of the threat is believed to have increased, we will share that
information as well.

Such vandalism and acts of intolerance are violations of the Student Code
and the Illinois Criminal Code and could lead to punishment under the
students discipline system, as well as potential criminal charges.

If you have any information about the authors of these messages, please
contact UIPD at 217/333-1216. To anonymously share information, you may
call Champaign County Crimestoppers at 373-TIPS or online at:
http://www.champaigncountycrimestoppers.com

For specific information regarding active threats, visit:
http://www.publicsafety.illinois.edu/emergencyplanning/activethreat.html

For general information about staying safe on campus, visit
http://studentaffairs.illinois.edu/students411/safety.html and
http://www.publicsafety.illinois.edu

For information about reporting acts of intolerance, including bias-
motivated incidents, visit: http://www.odos.illinois.edu/tolerance/.

Thank you for your assistance in this matter and for doing your part to
keep our campus safe.

Sincerely,

Barbara OConnor, J.D.
Executive Director of Public Safety
Chief of Police

You've got to be kidding me. We're talking about messages scrawled by two idiots on a friggin' bathroom stall. But when someone threatens to "kill Asians" at a specific date and location, you have to take that seriously.

Anyone with information about the authors of these messages is asked to contact UIPD at 217-333-1216. To anonymously share information, you can call Champaign County Crimestoppers at 373-TIPS or online at here.