Editor's note: Ridenhour was not found guilty of the acts detailed in his arrest, and in April 2016, records of the arrest were expunged, according to Alachua County court records.
University Police arrested a UF student Monday night after receiving reports that he made a bomb threat during a community service fraternity’s rush event.
According to a UPD report, officers charged 19-year-old Carson Ridenhour with threatening to discharge a destructive device — a second-degree felony. Officers searched his dorm but did not find any evidence of importance to the case.
Monday evening, officers responded to the Alpha Phi Omega (ΑΦΩ) coed service fraternity’s information booth near Turlington Plaza after fraternity members reported that a student made threatening remarks several days earlier.
A fraternity member explained to officers that he interviewed Ridenhour on Sept. 17 at a rush event in the Rion Ballroom, according to the report.
The member said he asked Ridenhour why he was rushing again after he previously didn’t get a bid. Ridenhour answered, “I have resentment from not getting in the first time, and I want to destroy you guys from the inside,” according to the report.
The member then asked how he would get back at the fraternity. Ridenhour replied, “by planting a bomb at chapter.”
Another fraternity member, who spoke to Ridenhour directly after he made the threatening remarks, asked if he liked to prank people. Ridenhour answered that he didn’t like to prank people but said he liked to deceive people, according to the report.
A third brother came forward and referenced a Facebook message conversation between she and another member, who was a close friend of Ridenhour. In the conversation, the member said she was concerned the fraternity hadn’t accepted Ridenhour’s bid because “he can be a very unstable person,” according to the report.
The third brother also referred to her conversation with Ridenhour at the event, where she asked him to describe himself in three words. Ridenhour said something to the effect that he’s not a good person, according to the report. He also said he “helps for the sake of helping” and is “intelligent, confident and focuses on doing right by others.”
After speaking to the members, officers and a detective drove to Ridenhour’s North Hall residence dorm room and took him to police headquarters for questioning, according to the report.
At the station, Ridenhour admitted to making the threat, and officers arrested him.
He was booked into the Alachua County Jail at about 2:30 a.m. Tuesday on the charge of threatening to discharge a destructive device. He was later released at about 2:30 p.m. after meeting a $5,000 bond.
Ridenhour’s case wasn’t handled as a standard bomb threat case because threateners usually call in to say an explosive is already planted, said UPD Capt. Jeff Holcomb.
Police consulted with the state attorney’s office to determine how to charge Ridenhour, Holcomb said. Often when a student threatens an individual, the incident is treated as an assault. They decided on the bomb threat charge because Ridenhour specifically spoke of using an explosive.
Ridenhour did not return calls for comment from the Alligator. The fraternity said it plans to release a statement this week.
A version of this story ran on page 1 on 9/25/2013 under the headline "UF student threatens fraternity"
