Family Life

04.12.12 | Bob Price

No suspects have been identified, but police said 65-year-old Mark Lee Krangle was arrested Wednesday at Pittsburgh International Airport and charged with one count of terroristic threats and one count of harassment by communication.

Krangle

Police said Krangle is accused of sending threatening emails that were targeted at four professors. He is not charged with making any bomb threats."While these threats may cause temporary disruption, the dedicated instructors, students and employees at the University of Pittsburgh persevere in their daily work in the classrooms and on campus," U.S. Attorney David Hickton said in a written statement. "We thank the University of Pittsburgh students and community members for the information they have provided so far. The information has helped us to focus upon potential suspects. We encourage anyone who thinks that they may have information to continue sharing this with law enforcement. You have many options for reporting and may remain anonymous."Pitt has received approximately 60 threats since mid-February. A $50,000 reward is available, and anyone who has a tip can email or call 412-624-2121."These attacks on the University of Pittsburgh in the way of threatening messages about bombs is unprecedented in American history," said Robert Hill, Pitt's vice chancellor for public affairs.One recent threat was made late Tuesday night, targeting Chancellor Mark Nordenberg's house in Oakland."He and his wife declined to evacuate, declined to have the dogs in to search it, but there was a search outside the home and no explosive was found," Hill said.As in the Nordenberg case, police found no danger at university buildings after any of the recent bomb threats."I was evacuated at 4 o'clock in the morning last Monday, and it was honestly really terrifying," student Sarah Halperin said.

A banner expressing gratitude to the campus police hangs inside the William Pitt Union and is being signed by many Pitt students and staff members who pass by."We decided to make this to let them know their work isn't going unnoticed and that we really appreciate everything they're doing," Halperin said."I've been in maybe a half-dozen classrooms that have been evacuated in the last month, and were it not for the calm presence of the police while I was trying to handle my students, I think it could have been a much more stressful situation," Helen Petracchi said."We are targeted, and we are responding to that in a way that lets everybody know we take it seriously," Hill said.