Aaron Hernandez's brother Dennis arrested for allegedly planning shootings at UConn, Brown
Dennis John Hernandez, the brother of Aaron Hernandez, was arrested last week after he allegedly planned and threatened to conduct a pair of school shootings at the University of Connecticut and Brown University.
Hernandez, 37, has been charged with threatening and breach of peace and was held on a $250,000 bond, according to a Bristol (Connecticut) Police Department incident report.
The report states that two people came forward to police to express concern about Hernandez, saying he had been "displaying very erratic behavior lately" and that he was "extremely sick and that his mental health is continuing to deteriorate."
Per police, a woman who said she had been dating Hernandez at the time, loaned him her car so he could make a July 7 court date for a separate matter. The woman told police that Hernandez admitted he did not attend court but instead went to UConn and Brown and that Hernandez "went into a number of classrooms and buildings at UConn."
Police had previously spoken to another woman who said Hernandez had gone to "map the schools out." Hernandez was a two-time team captain for the Huskies football team, where he played quarterback and wide receiver from 2004-08. He also served as quarterbacks coach at Brown for one season, in 2011.
NEVER MISS A SNAP: Sign up for our NFL newsletter for exclusive content
According to the report, the first woman told police that Hernandez rambled about the incident and said "he has a bullet for everyone." Police said they also found numerous social media posts made by Hernandez in which he used threatening language and referenced money that others supposedly owed him.
"Will I kill? Absolutely," one such post read, per police. "I've warned my enemies so pay up front."
Per the report, Bristol Police determined Hernandez was "gravely disabled and a danger to society" so they dispatched a number of officers to his home July 19. While they surrounded the home, police spoke to Hernandez on the phone and he allegedly said he was armed "and that if we approached him, he would kill us all."
Hernandez then left the house and walked around the back, advancing toward police, with his hands outstretched to his side, according to the report. He yelled "shoot me" and disregarded several police commands, the report states, prompting police to use a Taser on him. Police took Hernandez into custody and he was evaluated at a hospital. While there, police said Hernandez continued to make threats, allegedly saying he "was planning to still kill (redacted) along with anyone who profited off of his brother Aaron." Police said Hernandez also mentioned ESPN, but no specific people.
Once released, Hernandez was booked at the Bristol Police Department.
When police informed the people who had come forward about Hernandez's arrest, one of them shared a screenshot from a previously unreported threatening text message Hernandez allegedly sent to a family member. In it, he states that the "UConn program is going to pay unless I have a package deal and I get my estate and every single thing I have worked for." He also warns the family member to "remaining away from there because when I go I'm taking down everything And don't give a (expletive) who gets caught in the cross fire ... I'm prepared to give my life So if I don't get to see you on the outside know I love you always Not all shootings are bad I'm realizing. Some are necessary for change to happen."
Dennis John Hernandez − who has been known as D.J. and Jonathan − is the older brother of former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, who on April 15, 2015, was convicted of murdering semi-professional football player Odin Lloyd in 2013. Aaron Hernandez died by suicide on April 19, 2017, days after he was acquitted of a 2012 double homicide. He was posthumously diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
In March, Dennis John Hernandez was arrested for disorderly conduct and charged with second degree breach of peace after he allegedly threw a bag containing a brick and hand-written note on the ESPN's property after previously being turned away at the security gate.