Tulsa Co. Prosecutors Add 3 New Charges To Man Accused Of Plotting TU Mass Shooting

Tulsa Co. Prosecutors Add 3 New Charges To Man Accused Of Plotting TU Mass Shooting

Tulsa County prosecutors added three new charges to a Tulsa man already accused of shooting a process server and threatening to commit a mass shooting at the University of Tulsa.

Christopher Barnett is now charged with four counts of threatening an act of violence, where he was previously only facing one count of this crime. He's also charged with assault and battery with a deadly weapon.

Those three extra counts of threatening an act of violence are the result of testimony heard in court on Wednesday, in which three TU faculty members testified they were forced to change their daily routines because of personal threats Barnett made against them.

Barnett went in to Wednesday's hearing hoping for a bond reduction; he's currently being held without bond at the Tulsa County Jail.

The judge not only denied Barnett's request for bond, but also made the decision to tack new counts onto his case after hearing from employees who all had different versions of the same story.                 

The women told the judge Barnett made repeated threats against them online, posted pictures of their homes on social media, and paid people to stalk and take pictures of them.           

One woman said she had to stop doing two of her favorite activities, gardening and walking her dog, because she was so afraid of what Barnett might do. The woman also said she and her husband even moved, because they were too afraid to stay in their own home.           

Barnett's new attorney, a public defender, referenced Barnett's blog, "Transparency for Oklahomans." The page has now been taken down, but Barnett's attorney argued that one blog post in particular about Barnett committing a mass shooting at TU was full of hypothetical, non-credible, and even satirical ideas.                 

The TU employees testified they felt Barnett's threats were credible enough to make them fear for themselves, their families, and their students.

The judge decided Barnett will stand trial for all these charges, and stay in jail in the meantime. Barnett's next court date is next month.