Former UCLA lecturer arrested in Colorado for threatening mass shooting at school campus
‘Highly erratic’ former UCLA philosophy lecturer is arrested in Colorado after threatening to carry out mass shooting at the school with 800 page manifesto and 300 YouTube videos where he warned ‘da war is coming’
Matthew Harris sent the expletive-ridden email to the UCLA departmentHe also uploaded 300 videos on YouTube about shootings and integration It’s unclear if he took the YouTube account down or if YouTube suspended it He was arrested in Boulder, Colorado, on Tuesday morning It is unclear if he has been spoken to by law enforcement or arrested The threat nonetheless sparked panic on campus, with UCLA cancelling all in-person classesHarris was placed on leave in Spring last year pending an investigation into claims he sent a student a pornographic video Multiple students complained about him on university website The Daily Bruin
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A former UCLA lecturer who threatened to carry out a mass shooting at the school was arrested in Colorado on Tuesday morning, a day after posting 300 threatening YouTube videos and warning in emails to the school’s faculty ‘da war is coming’.
Matthew Harris sent the expletive-ridden email to UCLA’s philosophy department, and linked to videos depicting previous mass shootings including Columbine and Las Vegas, and an 800-page manifesto.
UCLA, in a tweet on Tuesday morning, said they were working with ‘out of state’ law enforcement but it’s unclear if they even know where he is.
He was let go from his job last year after a student reported that he had sent them pornography.
On Tuesday, NBC cited multiple law enforcement sources who said he had been taken into custody in Boulder, Colorado. It’s unclear what he will be charged with.
Matthew Harris sent the expletive-ridden email to UCLA’s philosophy department, warning its recipients ‘da war is comin’, and linked to videos depicting previous mass shootings including Columbine and Las Vegas , and an 800-page manifesto
The YouTube account where he posted the videos has now been taken down. Harris is understood to live on the East Coast
The title of one of the videos posted online by Matthew Harris on Sunday was ‘UCLA Philosophy (Mass Shooting)
UCLA, in a tweet on Tuesday morning, said they were working with ‘out of state’ law enforcement but it’s unclear if they even know where he is
One of the hundreds of videos posted online by the former postdoctoral researcher was titled ‘UCLA Philosophy (Mass Shooting)’. His manifesto made references to race and used several curse words and misogynistic slurs.
In response, UCLA cancelled all in-person classes early on Tuesday morning, while students who have been taught by Harris spoke of how they had previous concerns over his conduct.
Matthew Harris – a former UCLA lecturer – has threatened one of the California university’s departments with a mass shooting in a disturbing email sent to faculty and students
The former lecturer was placed on leave in the spring last year while he was investigated over allegations he sent a pornographic video to a student, according to the Daily Bruin.
Unrelated to UCLA’s investigation into him, Harris’ postdoctoral status was set to expire at the end of June 2021 after he first joined the university in 2019.
The university acknowledged the threat in an email sent to students sent on Monday night, seen by the Los Angeles Times.
‘The material includes a video entitled ‘UCLA Philosophy Mass Shooting’ and an 800-page manifesto with specific threats towards some members of our department,’ the email said, according to The LA Times.
‘In light of this, we will continue to have discussion through Zoom until the authorities say that it is safe.
‘I will keep you updated on this situation. But I would avoid being anywhere near Dodd Hall or the philosophy department until further notice.’
The University put out a statement on Twitter, saying: ‘UCLA Police Department is aware of a concerning email and posting sent to some members of the UCLA community today and actively engaged with out-of-state law enforcement and federal agencies.
‘We will keep the community informed as we learn more.’
In an update two hours later, it added: ‘UCPD is actively working with out-of-state & federal agencies on threats sent to some members of our community.
‘We do not have specific information that this individual is in CA.
‘Out of an abundance of caution, all classes will be held remotely Feb 1. We will keep you updated.’
In his manifesto seen by the DailyMail.com, Harris – often in all capital letters and with frequent spelling mistakes – makes frequent references to race including repeated use of the N-word, uses overtly sexual and misogynistic language and writes a number of violent proclamations such as ‘death to my enemies.’
Harris uploaded 300 videos to YouTube before his account was taken down. It’s unclear if he deleted it or if YouTube did
Matthew Harris sent the expletive-ridden email to UCLA’s philosophy department, warning its recipients ‘da war is comin’, and linked to videos depicting previous mass shootings including Columbine and Las Vegas , and an 800-page manifesto. Pictured: UCLA campus [file photo]
In his email to the philosophy department seen by The LA Times, he included a link to his YouTube channel featuring hundreds of disturbing videos, most of which were uploaded on Monday.
In the video titled ‘UCLA Philosophy (Mass Shooting)’, footage from the 2017 mass-shooting in Las Vegas and from the movie ‘Zero Day’ – loosely based on the Columbine Columbine High School massacre – was shown.
The channel appears to have since been taken down, but screenshots shared on Twitter showed a number of ‘ASMR’ (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) videos, with anti-feminist or racially-charged titles.
Speaking to ABC News, student Nathan Robbins said: ‘I’ve been scared about this professor, this guy, for about a year since my girlfriend told me about the stories – how he treated their class, but also the threats he made after he got put on leave.’
Other students had previously written about Harris on teacher-review websites, such as bruinwalk.com.
‘This professor is extremely unprofessional and has sent his personal p*rnographic content to a student,’ one student wrote in March 2021, linking to Harris’ YouTube channel. ‘Please fire this professor, his actions are not acceptable by any standards,’ the student added.
Writing in October 2020, another said: ‘Easily my least favorite class at ucla ever. He is very dry and could not care less about the class.’
The author of the anonymous review went on to say that in once case, Harris had changed the grade of another student 43 times after the quarter had finished.
They also wrote that the lecturer would repeatedly change the syllabus, and that he ‘started messaging people in the middle of the summer saying that he spilled Chinese food on their final and that they need to resubmit it.’
According to bruinwalk.com, Harris taught a number of philosophy classes during his tenure, including PHILOS 161: Topics in Aesthetic Theory and Topics in Aesthetic Theory: Personal Identity in Music, as well as PHILOS 168: Philosophy of Race.
