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A Syracuse University student who had ammunition and gun accessories in his apartment was deported before acting on suspected plans to carry out a mass shooting, city police said Thursday, according to Syracuse.com.
Xiaoteng Zhan told a friend in a message that his “dark side” propelled his desire to buy a gun. Zhan said he “might use the gun to cause trouble,” and that he’d “been preparing.”
Zhan’s plan was tipped to police March 12 when he asked about an AR-15 rifle and high-capacity shotguns at the Gun Shop in Nelson, N.Y. The store owner refused to sell Zhan, a non-U.S. citizen, a gun, copied his license plate number and called the police. Zhan had secured a hunting license the day before, enabling him to obtain a gun as a noncitizen.
Authorities found Zhan had recently received psychiatric care at two facilities, and they were able to add him to a list prohibiting gun purchase.
On March 19, police secured a search warrant and found in Zhan’s residence ammunition, a shotgun shoulder carrier, a laser scope and light. Syracuse then revoked Zhan’s enrollment, rendering his student visa invalid.
Zhan was deported to China March 20 when he returned to New York from spring break in Mexico, according to Derek McGork, Syracuse deputy police chief.
McGork pointed out that despite cooperation from several parties, it took six days to obtain a search warrant. Next time authorities might not be so lucky, he said.
William Fitzpatrick, Onondaga County district attorney; Joanie Mahoney, county executive; and Ben Walsh, Syracuse mayor, convened a group that met Thursday to discuss school safety.
