Man accused of threatening to shoot students at University of Miami, middle school released on bond

MIAMI – A 21-year-old student sent a homicidal e-mail to CanesWear at Miami FanWear in Davie threatening to commit mass murder at the University of Miami in Coral Gables and at a middle school in Miami, police said.

Investigators identified the student as Kenny Espaillat, who withdrew from UM on March 18, and learned he had arrived at Miami International Airport from the Dominican Republic on Jan. 1.

“I will begin my dream with a mass shooting at the University of Miami,” he wrote in the e-mail, adding he also wanted to “shoot the kids to the head” at Shenandoah Middle School and to set a fire at MIA because he didn’t like flying, according to the arrest form.

FBI agents and police officers responded to Espaillat’s apartment on Coral Way on Jan. 2. After talking to him about the threats made on Jan. 1st, they decided to take him to Jackson Memorial Hospital for a mental health evaluation and treatment.

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Officers arrested him on Friday and Miami-Dade County records show he was released on a $10,000 bond on Saturday.

Espaillat is facing a charge of a written threat to kill or do bodily harm and his arraignment hearing is at 9 a.m. on Feb. 7.