UHD student reportedly made threat after class canceled

A University of Houston-Downtown student allegedly threatened to “shoot up” the campus because he was reportedly upset about a canceled class, according to the school.

Houston police arrested Oscar Rincon, 19, off campus Monday night shortly after federal authorities reported the threat to the university’s police department, said Mike Emery, director of communications for the school.

Court documents say Rincon posted a Snapchat video saying he was going to “shoot up” a classroom building on campus. The post included a photo of an empty classroom, documents say.

Rincon admitted to police he owned a firearm, according to criminal charging documents.

“This is the first time I’m aware of this happening here at UHD,” Emery said of the alleged threat.

“At no time was campus security compromised nor was the UHD community in danger,” he added.

It was reported to the university police that Rincon may have made the statements “in a moment of frustration over a canceled class,” according to Emery.

“Regardless of the nature or intent of these comments, UHD and UHDPD treat every threat seriously and are committed to the safety of the campus community,” the director said. “UHDPD will continue to work alongside local, state and federal agencies to secure our campus and ensure that our university remains a safe institution of higher learning.”

Due to laws protecting student privacy, Emery said he could not disclose whether the student has been suspended or expelled from the school.

Rincon is charged with committing a terroristic threat, a felony. He is being held at the Harris County Jail on $50,000 bond, according to court records, and is scheduled to appear in the 228th Criminal Court for an arraignment on Oct. 3.