Editor’s Note: This story was updated to redact information that came from a source due to safety concerns.
Tres Genco, a Hillsboro man who is charged with attempting to conduct a mass shooting of women and illegally possessing a machine gun — and claimed affiliation to Ohio University on social media — is not and has never been an OU student, according to a news release from the Ohio University Police Department, or OUPD.
On July 21, the U.S. Department of Justice, or DOJ, announced Genco had been arrested by federal agents in connection to an alleged plot to commit a hate crime by shooting sorority students at an unnamed university in Ohio.
According to the release from the DOJ, Genco is part of a community of “incels,” or involuntary celibates, who “seek to commit violence in support of their belief that women unjustly deny them sexual or romantic attention to which they believe they are entitled.”
On his personal Facebook and Twitter accounts, Genco had that he was an OU student in his bios. In contrast, OUPD disputed Genco’s claims of attendance at OU in its release.
“OUPD conferred with the FBI prior to Genco’s arrest and despite his social media posts, there was no indication that Genco planned to target Ohio University,” the release states.
Carly Leatherwood, a university spokesperson, also affirmed Genco is not currently, nor has ever been, enrolled at OU. There is no known connection to OU at all, Leatherwood said.
“Based on what is known at this time, we do not believe there is any additional risk to our campuses as a result of this case,” OUPD said in the release.
During a detainment hearing Friday afternoon in Cincinnati, it was decided Genco would not be released on bond and will be detained pending trial.
