The former student who authorities said shot and killed a University of Arizona professor had not only been threatening the schoolβs hydrology department, but other staff members as well, causing one college official to work from home because she was afraid of what he was going to do, police records show.
Police said Murad Dervish, 46, entered the John W. Harshbarger Building on Oct. 5 and shot Professor Thomas Meixner in an office. Meixner was the head of the schoolβs hydrology department and an expert on desert water issues.
Dervish fled the scene and was found three hours later traveling south on Arizona 85 toward Mexico, 30 miles south of Gila Bend, court records say.
Dervish has been indicted on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited possessor, endangerment and burglary. He is being held without bond at the Pima County jail.
Prior to the shooting, Dervish had been expelled from the UA and barred from being on campus in February after he had been the subject of several reports of harassment and threats to staff members working at the Harshbarger Building, court records show. His teaching assistant contract also had not been renewed by the university.
In April, a UA assistant dean of students had been receiving threatening emails from Dervish while he was awaiting the outcome of his appeal to the dean of students. He had been emailing her threats such as, βIf you donβt I promise the consequences are going to be absolutely catastrophic,β UA police reports say.
In another email, Dervish told the UA official, βMr. (expletive deleted) Meixner attacked me in the hallway and I defended myself and your office needs to do something about that/ I donβt think you have any clue who you are dealing with but you are about to find out and I really donβt think youβre going to like it,β records say.
In one meeting, Dervish called the assistant dean of students a racial slur to her face, records say.
The UA official reported the threats to the UA Police Department, telling them she supervises Dervishβs appeal process and had many contentious meetings and emails with him, records say. She also said his demeanor was becoming more aggressive and believed he was capable of carrying out any threat, leading her to work from home for two days because she βjust doesnβt know what this guy will do.β
Despite being in her profession for over 25 years and having a high threshold for inappropriate behavior, she told police she believed the threats should be taken seriously and wanted to press charges against Dervish, records state..
On April 15, two UAPD officers went to Dervishβs residence and introduced themselves. Dervish told the officers they would need to get a warrant if they wanted to talk further, records say.
The officer told Dervish a warrant wasnβt necessary and asked if he wouldnβt mind stepping outside. When Dervish refused, the officer explained that he was going to be charged with two counts of misdemeanor threats due to his communication with UA staff, records say.
When the officer asked Dervish to open the door so he could sign the citation, he refused and asked the officer to slide it under the door instead, records say. After a back and forth between the two, the officer told Dervish he would be filing the paperwork with the court and request that a warrant be issued. Dervish told him to do whatever he needed to do.
As the officers were leaving, a neighbor asked why they were meeting with Dervish, explaining to them that he routinely has outbursts where he shouts obscenities out loud, sometimes toward her and her roommates, records say. The officer advised her to let her landlord know and to contact the police if he acts out in the future.
On April 18, Dervish emailed the UA official again, asking her to accept his apology and withdraw the charges, records say.
Earlier this week, UA President Robert Robbins said UAPD had asked the Pima County Attorneyβs Office twice to file criminal charges against Dervish.
Pima County attorney Laura Conover responded to Robbinsβ statement, saying county prosecutors did not have enough evidence to charge Dervish with misdemeanor threats and intimidation, Palmer reported.
Collection: Updates on the Oct. 5 shooting at UA
President Robert Robbins says over the past several months the University of Arizona has emphasized the safety and well-being of students and staff.
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The trail for former University of Arizona graduate student Murad Dervish was originally scheduled for September. It now is pushed back to at least May 2024.
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For Star subscribers:Β The University of Arizona has named a chief safety officer and set up a safety advisory commission after a report said its lack of safety measures led up to the fatal shooting of a professor.Β
UA President Robert Robbins saysΒ βwe are mobilizing, taking these threats very, very seriously.βΒ The threat was reported to police.Β
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For Star subscribers:Β A faculty committee investigated campus safety policies at the University of Arizona after an ex-graduate student with a known criminal history allegedly shot and killed a professor. Here is its preliminary report.Β
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Before attending the University of Arizona, Murad Dervish was a student and teacher's assistant at San Diego State University, where he also harassed and threatened professors and students via email.Β
Detective said ex-student attempted to buy gun earlier in year, but couldn't agree on price with the seller.
Multiple students and staff members saw the former UA student lurking around the John W. Harshbarger Building moments before opening fire and chasing professor down hallway to office.Β
On March 8, Murad Dervish was issued a no contact order by the University of Arizona due to his ongoing threats to professors in theΒ hydrology and atmospheric sciences department. San Diego State University also told UA police of similar threats by Dervish to staff at that school.
Crisis management consulting firm, PAX Group, LLC, is expected to release its findings and recommendation in two months.
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Pima County's attorney says there wasn't enough evidence to charge Murad Dervish with threats/intimidation over his behavior toward University of Arizona faculty before an Oct. 5 fatal shooting.Β
The University of Arizona Police Department twice sought to have the Pima County Attorney's Office charge an expelled student for threats, before the killing of professor Thomas Meixner. But the PCAO says the cases did not meet the threshold for prosecution.Β
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The University of Arizona had plenty of warning, as recently as Sept. 6, that Murad Dervish might pose a serious danger to faculty and other members of the hydrology department, faculty emails show.Β
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Suspected shooter was arrested later in the day by DPS troopers on Interstate 8 near Gila Bend.
