CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — Nashville's WSMV-TV is reporting Austin Peay State University police issued a warning after the university received a threatening letter from a former student.
The letter, reportedly from former student Cliff Guthrie, allegedly contained serious threats. This is reportedly not the only letter from Guthrie, with officials saying he sent others to unnamed public officials.
According to police, the letter said Guthrie is "forced to engage in a civil-civic action that will be perceived as a crime that is heinous, premeditated, racial and anti-American."
Guthrie, who was reportedly a student in engineering tech at the Fort Campbell campus, is described as 5 feet 11 inches tall, 190 pounds with brown eyes and black hair.
Local 6 attempted to independently confirm this information, but officials would not confirm the report. We will continue to follow the story and will bring you more when it becomes available.
The following is the full alert sent to the campus:
Matter of concern: On Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2011, APSU officials were provided with a letter written by Cliff Richard Guthrie, who was enrolled at APSU as recently as the Fall 2010 semester, that states “…I am forced to engage in a civil-civic action that will be readily perceived as a crime that is heinous, premeditated, racial, and anti-American.” The letter also names Austin Peay State University and no other institution of higher education is specifically named in the letter.
Awareness: While the specific intent of this individual is not clear, his statements are being taken seriously by APSU officials and are considered to be threatening.
APSU Public Safety has issued Guthrie a criminal trespass warning. This means Mr. Guthrie is not allowed on any property owned or occupied by APSU. APSU Public Safety has also notified the Clarksville Police Department, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and Fort Campbell Police about the communication.
If you see Guthrie on or near the APSU’s Main Campus, Fort Campbell Campus, or the Renaissance Center in Dickson, please contact APSU Public Safety at (931) 221-7786. You should also inform APSU Public Safety if you receive any communication, including letters or packages, from Mr. Guthrie, or any letters or packages that are not properly identified or are otherwise suspicious, without opening the letter or package. Members of the university community are encouraged to exercise extra vigilance, acquaint themselves with the locations of emergency phones located throughout the campus, and avail themselves of the escort service provided by Public Safety. You can reach public safety dispatch at any time by pressing the button on any interior/exterior emergency phone, or by dialing (931) 221-7786 on any wired or cellular phone.
