Bacone Student Charged After Allegedly Making Threat

MUSKOGEE, Okla. (AP) -- Muskogee County prosecutors have charged a Bacone College student who allegedly threatened to conduct a "Virginia Tech-like assault" on the campus. Brian Edward Key, 19, faces

Wednesday, September 5th 2007, 12:09 pm

By: News On 6

MUSKOGEE, Okla. (AP) -- Muskogee County prosecutors have charged a Bacone College student who allegedly threatened to conduct a "Virginia Tech-like assault" on the campus. Brian Edward Key, 19, faces a felony count of planning, attempting or conspiring to perform an act of violence. He was arrested Thursday after Bacone College personnel allegedly overheard Key and a 17-year-old girl threaten students and the campus community.

Key and the girl, who was placed in a juvenile detention facility then transferred to a shelter, began plotting the scheme following an Aug. 29 dispute at the campus. When college officials learned of the threats Thursday, they closed the campus.

Muskogee County Sheriff Charles Pearson said investigators learned Key and his alleged accomplice told other students they were going to call a person who lives in Enid, who Key allegedly said would come down to help carry out a plot that "could be just like Virginia Tech."

Pearson and Bacone College President Robert Duncan said a person showed up at Bacone College early Thursday, but had left the school before the campus was shut down.

Duncan said last week that he believes the campus is safe and secure, but any threats of violence will be dealt with swiftly.

According to court documents, Key was convicted earlier this year in Garfield County District Court of five misdemeanor counts of unauthorized use of a credit card. Three similar charges were dismissed after he pleaded guilty to the crimes, for which he is serving deferred sentences.

Key remains in the Muskogee County/City Detention Facility in lieu of a $250,000 bond.