PROVO, Utah — With the college football universe focused on this weekend's Holy War rivalry game between BYU and Utah, campus police in Provo have taken note of a 28-year-old man who was arrested for posting violent threats against Utes fans attending the game.
"We take every threat that involves our campus very seriously, and threats that were made online and were taken very seriously," said BYU Police spokesperson Karen Ellingson.
Christopher Tai Justice was arrested on charges of threats of violence and obstruction of justice after being accused of posting the threats on X. Booking documents showed one post said anyone wearing red on Saturday is getting shot.
Ellingson couldn’t say if the department will be on high alert Saturday, explaining that, like all BYU home games, the safety of fans is priority number one.
"There's a screening process that everyone goes through, and there's events staff there," she said. "We also have officers posted at every gate, and there are officers throughout the stadium. There are officers outside of the stadium, and many of those officers come from other agencies in the area."
Officers from 15 other law enforcement agencies will be assisting with security during the game, and while the rivalry can get heated, students agree that threats of violence have no place in the game.
"Obviously, there's going to be some people that say some crazy things in the heat of rivalry week, but that's not the standard here at BYU," said BYU student Hayden Alcorn.
"I’m all for good fun and like, some teasing and some rivalry and some trash talking a little bit, you know? But like, I mean, there's a line, obviously you don't cross," added BYU student Drew Mattsson. "So if the police are coming to your house to arrest you because you've been threatening people, obviously, you've crossed that line."
If fans who attend the game see anything suspicious or alarming, BYU Police want to be contacted immediately.
"If anyone sees anything that makes them wonder, is that safe? Is that right? Is there a threat? Please give us a call," said Ellington. "There is a number that you can text when you're in the stadium during games, and you can also call 911 if there's an emergency."
For those who won't be in the stands on Saturday, the Utah-BYU game can be seen on FOX 13 starting at 6 p.m.
