David Benjamin Coleman-Roush, 35, is facing a third-degree felony charge of terroristic threat after making threats against the UT Austin and a local church.

AUSTIN, Texas — A man is in jail after allegedly making a threat toward the University of Texas at Austin.

David Benjamin Coleman-Roush, 35, was arrested in the 5700 block of Tapadera Trace Lane in northwest Austin early Saturday morning.

According to an affidavit obtained by KVUE, shortly before 11 p.m. Friday, Austin Police Department (APD) officers responded to a welfare check call after a transfer from the suicide prevention hotline. The affidavit states that Coleman-Roush’s friend called the hotline and said that Coleman-Roush talked about “seeing something tomorrow, about UT and a church in Lakeway” while referring to a TV broadcast about a mass casualty event.



This story continues below.

Roush’s friend also allegedly said that Coleman-Roush wife was leaving him and that that could escalate the delusions he was having. The friend also allegedly stated that Coleman-Roush is former military.

The affidavit states that APD officers were able to make contact with Coleman-Roush’s wife. She said she had texts from Coleman-Roush where he said he would go to UT on Saturday and follow a plan. APD reviewed the messages from Coleman-Roush’s phone, which stated the he was “going to UT tomorrow and will do it right in the street.”

Coleman-Roush’s wife also allegedly told police that Coleman-Roush has a kill list and previously threatened to kill a pastor during a previous assault on her. Coleman-Roush’s wife also said she had further concerns because Coleman-Roush possessed a gun in the residence. 

APD determined that Coleman-Roush “intentionally threatened to commit the act of mass violence … on or near [the] University of Texas campus,” according to the affidavit.

Coleman-Roush was charged with third-degree felony terroristic threat to the public. He also faces charges of third-degree felony assault on a family member by impeding breath, misdemeanor terroristic threat of a family/household, and misdemeanor assault causing bodily injury to family member.

Coleman-Roush was booked in the Travis County Jail just after 3 a.m. Saturday. He remains in custody on a combined bond of $120,000.