Tucson man gets 16-month prison term for threatening mass shooting at University of Arizona
A sign in front of some cacti marks one of the entrances to the University of Arizona, in Tucson, Arizona. The university was founded in 1885 and was the first university in the Arizona Territory. (Photo by Epics/Getty Images)
TUCSON, Ariz. - A Tucson man was sentenced Tuesday to 16 months in federal prison for threatening a mass shooting at the University of Arizona last year.
Prosecutors said 27-year-old Michael Pengchung Lee, who was not a student at the university in Tucson, pleaded guilty in April to transmitting threats through interstate communications.
According to a criminal complaint, Lee made the threats to campus fraternities and sororities on Oct. 22 while in an online group chat. In the online threats, Lee cited "incel" ideology, language, and motivations, according to a statement issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
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"Incels," or "involuntary celibates," refers to a misogynistic online subculture whose members sometimes call for violence against women.
Lee was arrested three days after sending the threats.
As part of his sentence, authorities said Lee must serve three years of supervised release and won’t be permitted on campus or allowed to contact university officials during that span.