Hearing for suspect accused of making football game threat

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday scheduled the first hearing in Ohio for a man accused of threatening a shooting at Ohio State University and vowing to hurt players on the football team.

A September indictment unsealed late last year in federal court in Columbus accuses Daniel Rippy of making the “electronic communication” threat from California during the game between Ohio State and the University of Michigan in 2018. It was played in Columbus that year. Ohio State won the contest 62-39.

Rippy threatened a shooting at the school and said: “I’m seriously going to hurt the students and all of the players from the football team,” according to the Sept. 26 indictment.

A magistrate judge ordered Rippy handed over to U.S. marshals and sent to Ohio following Rippy’s arrest last month in California. Judge Algenon Marbley set a hearing for Friday morning in Columbus.

A message was left with Rippy’s court-appointed federal public defender seeking comment. WOOD-TV reported in January that Rippy said he was innocent during a Facebook message exchange with the station.