Former SMU student arrested, accused of terroristic threat against university officials
A former SMU engineering graduate student has been arrested after he was accused of making threats toward the university’s president and faculty, officials said.
SMU Police Department officers arrested 39-year-old Brian Ethan Jackel at his Duncanville home Monday on a felony warrant, according to university officials.
An SMU spokesperson told the Star-Telegram that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs informed the school that Jackel had made “serious, credible threats” toward some of the university’s officials.
According to the arrest warrant affidavit obtained by Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV, a patient at the VA facility in Bonham told investigators that Jackel, who was also a patient at the time, had said he wanted to kill the SMU president and faculty members.
The patient and Jackel were watching television coverage of the Allen Premium Outlets mall shooting when Jackel made the threats, according to WFAA. Jackel also talked about “making homemade explosives” and gave the impression he might have pipe bombs at his home, the affidavit states.
SMU police conducted an investigation and obtained a felony arrest warrant for Jackel and a search warrant for his home, school officials said.
It’s not clear if any explosive devices were found in Jackel’s residence.
SMU police worked with local, state and federal law enforcement to provide additional campus security and locate and apprehend Jackel, according to school officials. Jackel is being held in the Dallas County Jail.
