Man arrested for alleged threats to the University of Utah where Charlie Kirk was killed
The suspect, identified as Blake Francis Rogers, posted a video in which he spoke of a possible violent attack at Utah Valley University
On the same day that Tyler Robinson was formally charged with the murder of Charlie Kirk, a suspect was arrested for allegedly making a terroristic threat against Utah Valley University (UVU), where Kirk was killed, according to local authorities.
“There were clear and specific threats of violence, and it was mentioned specifically to Utah Valley University,” said Sgt. Skyler Talbot, public information officer for the Summit County Sheriff’s Office. The arrest took place in Summit County, where the university is located. This news comes as UVU students sadly returned to campus for classes Wednesday, a week after Kirk’s death. The campus was the scene of collective mourning. Students gathered silently around the fenced courtyard where Kirk was killed. A memorial was located nearby where students and faculty laid flowers and talked about how safe they felt at the university.
On Tuesday, the FBI alerted the Summit County Sheriff's Office to a 70-second video posted online Monday night in which an individual named Blake Francis Rogers allegedly threatened Utah Valley University, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Rogers, 20, allegedly told investigators that it was a “joke.”
According to the affidavit, Rogers said in the video, “I am beginning my journey to Utah Valley University to fulfill my lifelong duty: to end the liberal arts. If you are watching this video, it means I did not make it back and was defeated by my mortal enemy, the liberal arts virus, at Utah Valley University where Charlie Kirk was murdered.”
“I hope that by watching this video, everyone can understand what drove me to do such things and see me as the hero I am. I would like to request that a golden statue be erected in place of Mario the Dragon,at the intersection of Market and I think 31st Street, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. “Thank you all,” Rogers continued. The suspect is a student in Pennsylvania, but had recently traveled to Utah, according to Talbot. He was staying with his family in Park City.
The affidavit states that investigators discovered the residence where Rogers was staying and interviewed him.
When detectives asked him about the video, Rogers allegedly admitted to making it and said it was “posted as a joke on an unlisted YouTube video and sent to 12 to 15 people.” It further notes that Rogers “admitted to leaning left, but did not declare himself a member of any particular party,” and said he used the word “woke” as “a vague idea.”
Several agencies were on alert for a possible violent attack on the UVU campus, according to the affidavit, which found probable cause to charge Rogers with making a terroristic threat, prompting the intervention of an emergency agency.
“Blake posted a threat involving bodily injury, death or substantial property damage and caused action by an official or voluntary agency organized to respond to emergencies because the actor’s conduct posed a serious and substantial risk to the general public,” the sergeant said. A magistrate ruled he can post $1,000 bail, according to court documents. Rogers has no history of violent offenses, according to the Public Safety Assessment Report. “At this time, we believe this was an isolated incident. There is no indication that other individuals were involved,” Talbot said. “We do not believe any significant steps were taken to cause the threats to materialize,” he added. No formal charges have yet been filed. The Summit County District Attorney’s Office declined to comment.found probable cause to charge Rogers with making a terroristic threat, which prompted the intervention of an emergency agency.
“Blake posted a threat that involved bodily injury, death, or substantial property damage and caused an official or voluntary agency organized to respond to emergencies to take action because the actor’s conduct posed a serious and substantial risk to the general public,” the sergeant said.
A magistrate ruled he can post a $1,000 bond, according to court documents. Rogers has no history of violent offenses, according to the Public Safety Assessment Report.
“At this time, we believe this was an isolated incident. There is no indication that other individuals were involved,” Talbot said.
“We do not believe any significant steps were taken to cause the threats to materialize,” he added. No formal charges have yet been filed. The Summit County District Attorney’s Office declined to comment.

