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Penn State Student Arrested, Charged With Making Terroristic Threats

A Penn State student was arrested and charged by university police earlier this month forĀ alleged threats against the Stuckeman Family Building.

Court documents show Andreas Papadopoulos, 19, was charged with one count of Terroristic Threats with Intent to Terrorize Another, a first-degree misdemeanor. Papadopoulos was also charged with one count each of misdemeanor harassment, summary harassment, and summary disorderly conduct.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, Papadopoulos allegedly made multiple threats of violence. Included among the accusations against Papadopoulos is an alleged plot to plant explosives inside the Stuckeman Family Building on Penn State’s campus.

“Papadopoulos’ actions and statements show clear intent to cause bodily injury,” the charging officer wrote. “Papadopoulos has physical [sic] put his hands on others without their consent and has expressed his homicidal ideations and plan to burn down the Stuckeman Family Building to multiple people on multiple occasions.”

On March 2, seven witnesses provided written statements to police, describing their fear and concern for their safety and well-being.

Papadopoulos allegedly brought multiple witnesses to his “secret spot” underneath a Stuckeman Building staircase, explaining how he “fantasizes about staying and watching as the [building] burns and collapses around him” to one of them. According to witness statements, Papadopoulos planned to hide in his spot after planting explosives to destroy the building.

Additionally, a witness alleged Papadopoulos stated a desire to “throw people over the mezzanine” at Stuckeman. Another statement accused Papadopoulos of describing “scrubbing off someone’s face and gouging someone’s eyes out,” as well as “dismemberment and hiding a body so that no one would know where it was.”

Penn State spokesperson Lisa Powers stated there is “no ongoing threat at the Stuckeman Building” but declined to discuss specific steps taken by the university to further secure the building.

Powers confirmed Papadopoulos is still enrolled at the university, and he’s still listed in the Penn State Directory as of March 16.

“We are aware of the criminal charges against Andreas Papadopoulos, who is currently enrolled,” Powers wrote. “Any student found to have violated the Student Code of Conduct will be held accountable for their actions.”

Papadopoulos was accused of other incidents unrelated to the alleged Stuckeman plot, according to court documents.

According to one witness, Papadopoulos threatened to stab him and strangle him in his sleep. Multiple witnesses claimed Papadopoulos held lit lighters against their bodies until they felt pain. Another stated Papadopoulos “wielded a hammer over his head as to hit him.”

Papadopoulos was arraigned on March 9. Initially, Papadopoulos was denied bail on grounds of public safety, but that ruling was modified to offer a bail amount of $250,000, which the defendant posted on March 15.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 22.

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About the Author

Sam Fremin

Sam is a senior from Ashburn, Virginia, majoring in journalism and political science & minoring in German and creative writing. He is a Dallas Cowboys fan who relishes the misery of Eagles fans. All hate messages can be sent to [email protected] or @SamFremin on Twitter.

He may or may not read every single comment he gets.

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