Blake Rogers, a third-year Drexel University student, was arrested in Utah on Thursday and charged with making terroristic threats after allegedly publishing a video stating he had traveled there to “kill” the “woke mind virus.”
The unlisted YouTube video, which circulated among a small group, was posted five days after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University cast a pall over American politics. It is not clear how it came to authorities’ attention.
Rogers, a Music Industry major, told police investigators that he intended the video as a joke, was not particularly political, and identified as left-leaning. This was corroborated by his roommate, who spoke to NBC10 Philadelphia.
It is unclear whether Utah authorities intend to pursue the charges further.
Drexel administrators sent a university-wide email Thursday night, signed by the leadership team.
“We have learned that a Drexel student has been arrested for making a threat of terrorism in Utah. We assure you that as a University we take this very seriously,” the email read.
“Threats and acts of violence have no place in our University, or in society at large. Drexel has zero tolerance for threats of violence and we remain committed to taking all necessary steps to protect the safety of our community.”
NBC10 suggested the student was staying with family in Park City, Utah. Based on the student’s social media presence, he graduated from high school in San Diego, California.
“I would like to request a gold statue be erected in place of Mario the Dragon, on the crossing of Market and I think 31st Street, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,” should he succeed in eliminating the “woke mind virus,” the video concluded, according to NBC10. The Triangle was unable to independently view the video.
Since the Kirk assassination, criticism has flown between the left and right. Multiple public figures have faced serious blowback for comments critical of Kirk or President Trump made since the shooting, with some losing jobs.
The most recent figure mired in the fallout is late-night television host Jimmy Kimmel, whose show was cancelled after the FCC threatened ABC’s broadcast license in response to a segment on the Kirk assassination it deemed insensitive.