A graduate student at San José State University has been arrested and charged with making numerous violent and hateful threats found in campus bathrooms, according to federal prosecutors.
The suspect, identified as Ziheng “Tony” Fang, 30, a master's student in data science, is accused of leaving a string of written warnings of bombings and violence in men's and gender-neutral restrooms across the university. These threats, which appeared sporadically since October 2024, caused significant fear and disruption on campus, prompting school-wide alerts and class cancellations.
Federal authorities allege Fang was responsible for at least 20 separate instances of leaving these messages. Some threats specifically indicated planned attack dates and methods, including explicit references to bombs and weapons. Court documents revealed that one message found in November last year contained Fang's fingerprint and included swastika symbols and a warning of a "MASS BOMB NEXT WEEK."
Investigators utilized key card access logs and surveillance footage to link Fang to the incidents. In 16 instances, threatening messages were discovered in bathrooms shortly after Fang used his key card to access campus buildings. In other cases, Fang was observed on surveillance entering or exiting the vicinity of bathrooms shortly before messages were found.
The San José State University president's office issued multiple alerts to students and staff before the alleged attack dates, advising faculty to decide on class cancellations or virtual instruction. The alerts resulted in deserted campus buildings on the days of the purported threats.
Fang is currently in federal custody and awaits a detention hearing scheduled for Thursday, where a judge will determine his release status pending the legal proceedings.
