Rose Hill Man Pleads Guilty To Racist Threats At Howard U

A Rose Hill man accused of making threats against African-Americans at Howard University pleaded guilty Tuesday to transmission in interstate commerce of a communication containing threats to injure the person of another. John Edgar Rust, 26, faces up to five years in prison.

According to court documents, Rust posted the racist threat from a Panera Bread at 6670 Richmond Highway in November 2015.

The FBI received a tip from a DC resident about the post, which appeared on 4chan under the Reddit username "watchouthoward." Here's an excerpt of the message:

Any n****** left at Howard University after 10 tomorrow will be the first to go. And any of those cheapskate n****** who try to get out using the metro will regret that choice real fast. Sure, the po po will take me down, but I'll go out a hero knowing I made the world better. I just hope at least someone else can see it too and continue the fight.

"After all, it's not murder if they're black" was how the message ended. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here.)

Authorities tracked his IP address, finding some disturbing details on his personal devices. Some of the text documents and images on his hard drive included: a list titled "22 Ways to Kill a Man With Your Bare Hands," documents detailing poisons and explosives, pages from the book "Kill or Get Killed," and an article about long range shooting of firearms. A day before he allegedly posted the threat, Rust visited a subreddit called "DeadN***Storage."

Rust was arrested in October and "showed little emotion" during his court appearance, media reports indicated.

Howard University increased security on campus after the threat but did not close the school. Some professors did cancel classes while some students skipped classes.

"Relieved that the Federal Bureau of Investigation - FBI arrested John Edgar Rust for his 2015 racist threats to murder #AfricanAmericans on our campus," said Howard University in a statement after his arrest.

Rust is a previously convicted felon and a registered sex offender. He was convicted for indecent liberties with a child by custodian and aggravated sexual battery in Loudoun County Circuit Court.

His sentencing is set for July 20.

Patch will continue to provide updates on this case.

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Image via Virginia State Police