Case # 17HF1442
Date: November 6, 2017
FORMER STUDENT TO BE ARRAIGNED FOR THREATENING MASS SHOOTING AT SOKA UNIVERSITY ON YOUTUBE AND IN EMAILS
SANTA ANA, Calif. – A former student is scheduled to be arraigned today for threatening a mass shooting at Soka University (Soka) in Aliso Viejo on YouTube and in emails to a staff member.
|
Defendant |
Charges |
Maximum Sentence |
Court Date |
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David Kenneth Smith, 39, Los Angeles |
Charged today with:
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Three years in state prison |
Arraignment Nov. 6, 2017, time to be determined Department CJ-1, Central Jail, Santa Ana Bail: $1 million |
Circumstances of the Case
- Smith is a former student at Soka who is accused of posting videos on YouTube while holding firearms, praising the perpetrators of recent mass shootings, and discussing the possibility of carrying out an attack at the university.
- On Oct. 31, 2017, Smith is accused of sending emails to a staff member at Soka that and threatened violence on the campus and included a link to one of his videos.
- The staff member reported the messages and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) investigated this case.
- OCSD arrested Smith at his Los Angeles apartment on Nov. 2, 2017. Smith is accused of possessing nine loaded firearms at the time of his arrest.
Prosecutor: Senior Deputy District Attorney Brett Brian, Special Prosecutions Unit