Radnor Police On Alert After Social Media Threat

The FBI on Sunday informed all Philadelphia-area colleges of a recent social media post that threatened an act of violence on Monday afternoon at college or institution “near Philadelphia.”

In response, police in Radnor say they are taking action to be proactive and alert.

Radnor Police said they have been directed by the township “to take all necessary steps and strategies to be proactive and alert and to keep the lines of communication open with the local colleges and universities located in Radnor Township,” the police said via Facebook.

Radnor Police said in addition to putting together “an appropriate and aggressive plan,” they are also in the process of verifying the origin of the alert and its validity.

According to published reports, the threat was posted Friday on 4chan, an anonymous message board. Chris Harper-Mercer, the man behind last week’s shooting in Oregon, reportedly used the same site to post a threat before his deadly rampage.

Philly.com obtained a photograph of the threat, which reads:

“This is only the beginning, . . .On October 5, 2015 at 1:00 PM CT, a fellow robot will take up arms against a university near Philadelphia. His cries will be heard, his victims will cower in fear, and the strength of the Union will decay a little more.”

The post shared by Harper-Mercer included an image of a cartoon frog holding a gun, and the threat against the Philadelphia-area college had a similar image, Philly.com reported.