Death Threat Tweets Came From Kean Rally Participant: Prosecutor

The Twitter death threats made on Nov. 17 to black Kean University students during a peaceful rally on campus were created by a protestor who is also black and a former Kean student, authorities announced.

A 24-year-old by the name of Kayla-Simone McKelvey of Union Township was charged by summons with creating a false public alarm, said Mark Spivey, director of communications for the Union County Prosecutor Office, for allegedly creating a fake Twitter account during the rally and threatening to kill black people on campus.

McKelvey, a self-proclaimed activist, participated in a student rally regarding racial issues held on the night of Nov. 17, but left the rally midway through and walked to a computer station located in a university library, according to the prosecutor’s report.

She allegedly created an anonymous account on the social media site, the report said, and posted racially charged threats of violence, including “i will kill every black male and female at kean university,” and “i will kill all the blacks tonight, tomorrow and any other day if they go to Kean university.”

“After making the posts, McKelvey immediately returned to the rally and attempted to spread awareness of the threats she allegedly had just fabricated,” Spivey said. “The investigation further revealed that there was never any actual plan to harm students.”

After the Union County Prosecutor’s announcement, Kean University President Dawood Farahi released a statement, saying:

“The Union County Prosecutor’s Office announced the results of its investigation and has charged the individual who sent the abhorrent tweets threatening the lives of members of our campus community. We are saddened to learn that the person allegedly responsible was an active participant in the rally that took place on campus on Tuesday, November 17 and is a former student of Kean. As a diverse academic community, we wholeheartedly respect and support activism, however, no cause or issue gives anyone the right to threaten the safety of others.”

Despite the threats, Kean University remained open the following day. About 100 people took part in the rally that night, nj.com reported.

McKelvey is scheduled to have her first appearance in the case on Monday, Dec. 14 in the Union County Jail courtroom.