New York student charged with threatening to commit Virginia Tech-like attack
 

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From the BNO Newsroom.

QUEENS, New York (BNO NEWS) -- An 18-year-old St. John's University student has been charged with making a terroristic threat after posting several messages on his Facebook page in which he threatened to kill people on campus by committing a "Virginia Tech attack," referring to the 2007 campus shooting in which a student shot and killed 32 people, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown announced on Thursday.

The suspect is identified as Radames Santiago, 18, who lives in the 500 block of West 170th Street in Manhattan. Santiago is charged with one count of making a terroristic threat and, if convicted, faces up to seven years in prison.

Santiago was arraigned before Queens Criminal Court Judge Toko Serita on Wednesday night, who ordered him held on $6,000 bond or $2,000 cash bail, and to return to court on October 1, 2009.

"If a defendant posts a threat on a social networking site it will be treated seriously and investigated thoroughly," said District Attorney Brown. "Students should feel that they are in a safe environment when they attend school. Attempts to disturb or threaten the peaceful campus atmosphere will not be tolerated."

According to the charges, Santiago posted messages on Facebook on September 14 and 15 in which he indicated that he was going "crazy." He also allegedly posted messages, saying people should "watch as he does some Virginia Tech [stuff]."

"I know I will do it. You know I will, and to make sure that people watch CNN or something every day after I kill everyone," Santiago allegedly posted on his profile. Users of the site then reported the threats to St. John's University officials, who contacted authorities.

Santiago admitted to posting the messages, and said he was drunk and depressed "about everything" at the time he posted them.

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