Man charged in threats against students

Virginia man is behind bars charged with making online death threats against a University of Illinois student and others, referring to the Virginia Tech shootings.

U.S. Attorney John Brownlee says 27-year-old Allen Leon Sammons of Oakwood was arrested and charged Wednesday with transmitting a threat across state lines. According to court documents, Sammons' former girlfriend reported he sent her harassing e-mails and posted threatening comments about her online in August. She was a University of Illinois student and he attended a community college in Wise County.

At the time, Sammons threatened to follow in the footsteps of Virginia Tech killer Seung-Hui Cho and others who carried out public acts of violence. Sammons was arrested after telling an investigator he planned to travel to Illinois.