College student, 21, ‘messaged a group chat suggesting that all black people at the school be shot’

Texas college student, 21, is indicted for ‘messaging a New Jersey high school group chat in 2018 and saying all black people in the building should be shot’

  • Kenneth Petersen, a 21-year-old from Stephenville, Texas, was indicted by a grand jury on one count of bias intimidation
  • Investigation was launched in May 2018 after a Northern Burlington High School student alerted authorities about the message on her GroupMe app 
  • The group chat had been initially created to discuss senior pranks at the New Jersey high school 
  • Mansfield Police Department provided increased security detail to the high school as they were gearing up for graduation
  • Police soon identified Petersen as the person having sent the message and determined that he was a college student from Texas 
  • The 21-year-old was arrested in September 2019 

Kenneth Petersen, a 21-year-old from Stephenville, Texas, was indicted by a grand jury on one count of bias intimidation by the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office in New Jersey

A Texas college student has been charged for making racially charged statements in a New Jersey area group chat where he suggested that ‘all the black people at the school’ should be shot. 

Kenneth Petersen, a 21-year-old from Stephenville, Texas, was indicted by a grand jury on one count of bias intimidation by the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office in New Jersey, according to a release.

Authorities first investigated the messages in May 2018 after a Northern Burlington High School student alerted authorities that someone she did not know had sent the message on the GroupMe app. 

The group chat had been initially created to discuss senior pranks at the New Jersey high school. 

The student told her teacher, who then notified police. Police were concerned with the message as it occurred around the same time as the school’s graduation.

According to the release, the Mansfield Police Department provided increased security detail on the campus but authorities soon confirmed that the threat had come from out of state. 

Investigation was launched in May 2018 after a Northern Burlington High School student alerted authorities about the message on her GroupMe app. Increased security was given to the New Jersey school (pictured) as they were gearing up for graduation

Investigation was launched in May 2018 after a Northern Burlington High School student alerted authorities about the message on her GroupMe app. Increased security was given to the New Jersey school (pictured) as they were gearing up for graduation

Petersen - who identifies himself on Facebook as a Trump supporter - states on social media that he attended Tarleton State University. Petersen's Facebook profile was changed to above in December, three months after his arrest

The 21-year-old was arrested in September 2019

Police soon determined that the message had been posted by Petersen, who was attending a college in Texas at the time

Police soon determined that the message had been posted by Petersen, who was attending a college in Texas at the time. 

It is currently unknown as to why Petersen targeted that particular group chat

It is currently unknown as to why Petersen targeted that particular group chat

Petersen – who identifies himself on Facebook as a Trump supporter – states on social media that he attended Tarleton State University. 

The 21-year-old was arrested in September 2019. 

It is currently unknown as to why Petersen targeted that particular group chat.  

‘There can never be any tolerance for racially-motivated threats like this and, especially during recent times when we have seen threats escalate to actual acts of violence, law enforcement must respond with the utmost seriousness,’ Prosecutor Scott Coffina said. 

‘You cannot hide behind a cell phone halfway across the country while spewing such hatred.’ 



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