Police announced Thursday that a Syracuse University student was deported after it was found he had stockpiled ammunition and gun accessories and was threatening a mass shooting.
The 22-year-old, Xiaoteng Zhan, was taken into federal custody last month upon returning from a spring break trip to Mexico and later sent back to China, according to Syracuse.com.
Zhan had reportedly sought out psychiatric help twice in recent months and attempted to buy an AR-15. Authorities later found ammunition, a laser scope, bulletproof vest, a shotgun shoulder carrier, and other items in his apartment.
During the Thursday school safety task force meeting, law enforcement read a text message Zhan sent to a friend describing his “dark side” and explaining that he might use his gun to “cause trouble.”
“You’re the only one I don’t want to kill,” Zhan assured his friend, who begged him not to kill her or her children.
Police were first tipped off on March 12 from a gun store where Zhan tried to buy an AR-15 assault rifle. The owner told police that he was not a U.S. citizen but on a student visa, and asked about high capacity shotguns. After refusing to sell him the weapon, the owner followed Zhan into the parking lot and jotted down his license plate number.
After a thorough investigation, Syracuse University expelled Zhan, which invalidated his visa. After returning from a trip to Mexico, federal agents met him at the airport and he was deported to China.
