Saturday’s message from the “hotmail.de” address also expressed regret for the original threat. The sender asked that recipients “please feel sorry for the terrible news that my brother has written to my email address please forgive me for the unpleasant message.”
The sender claimed to be “not a killer, not a killer” and wrote that “There is no running amok in Harvard University I promise you.” The body of Saturday’s message, unlike Friday’s, was not signed with a name.
“I will bear the responsibility please call back all media,” the message read.
Several hundred Harvard affiliates received another, similarly apologetic message at 8:47 a.m. Sunday morning from the same “hotmail.de” address. The message also apparently requested The Crimson to delete its online story on the death threat.
CAMPUS DISRUPTED
Friday’s threat prompted the involvement of outside law enforcement and disrupted student life on campus. Cambridge Police Department and the FBI are supporting HUPD in its investigation.
Christina H. Gao ’16-’17, who was a recipient of the threat, said Friday evening that she was comforted by HUPD’s quick response. “I was planning on being in my room during the time that was [outlined] in the email,” she said. “Of course it’s scary, but I’m glad HUPD is on it.”
Still, Friday’s death threat had led to at least two scheduling changes on campus.
On Friday night, Harvard Women in Computer Science decided to reschedule a party, planned for Saturday night, to later in the month.
“In an effort to stay as safe as possible, we've decided to move this event,” event organizers wrote in a Facebook post.
The Harvard-Radcliffe Asian American Association and several other Asian cultural groups, for their parts, had planned to co-host an event on the Asian American experience at Harvard on Saturday afternoon. By late Friday night, after talking with police, organizers decided to postpone the discussion, entitled “Perspectives: Being Asian American at Harvard,” until next Saturday, Oct. 11, out of concern for the event’s attendees.
“To all of our dear friends who received this afternoon’s email, we express our sincerest sympathy and support,” organizers wrote in a message announcing the postponement shared with The Crimson. “No one should have to open their inbox and see such a threatening and racially charged message.”
The message also included a list of campus counseling resources for distressed students.
Instead, several students from the aforementioned student groups held an informal gathering in the Adams House Lower Common Room on Saturday at 2 p.m. According to a post on the “Perspectives” Facebook event page, the discussion was meant “to create a safe space for members of our community to come together.”
At least one HUPD officer was present, guarding the door to the Lower Common Room. Around a dozen people were in attendance.
—Staff writer Madeline R. Conway can be reached at mconway@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @MadelineRConway.
—Staff writer Theodore R. Delwiche can be reached at theodore.delwiche@thecrimson.com. Follow him on Twitter @trdelwic.
—Staff writer Alexander H. Patel can be reached at alex.patel@thecrimson.com. Follow him on twitter @alexhpatel.