Taiwanese terror suspect faces additional charge, rejected from Temple University

台灣恐怖嫌疑人面臨額外控訴，被天普大學取消資格

An Tso Sun charged with 'possessing criminal tools' and rejected from Temple University


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- An Tso "Edward" Sun (孫安佐), the Taiwanese exchange student arrested for threatening to "shoot up" his private school in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, has received an additional charge of "possessing criminal tools" and has been officially rejected from Temple University.

In the latest update of Sun's files released by the Pennsylvania court today, an additional charge of "possessing criminal tools" has been filed against him, reported UDN.

According to SET News, Sun, 18, has just applied for the Department of Criminal Justice at Temple University just 5 days before he was arrested for threatening to carry out a mass shooting at his high school. In the wake of his arrest and as news has broken of an additional charge was filed against him, Temple officials say that his application has been rejected and his records removed from their system. The annual tuition at Temple is reported to range from NT$900,000 (US$30,000) to NT$1.8 million (US$61,000).

Sun was arrested on March 26 after a classmate informed police that Sun has warned him that he was going to go on a shooting spree in their school. An initial search of his living quarters turned up a garrote, a crossbow, a ballistic vest and ammunition, but no gun. Police said he had been searching online for information on how to buy an AK-47 assault rifle or an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle.

When Upper Darby police arrested him, he was charged with making "terroristic threats," and he was place in jail in lieu of US$100,000 bail.

On March 31, Sun's celebrity parents Di Ying (狄鶯), a Taiwanese opera singer, and Sun Peng (孫鵬), an actor, landed in the U.S. to mount a defense for their son. Di has maintained that her son was "just kidding" when he told a classmate that he was going to "shoot up" their school in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania.

On April 2, Upper Darby police at a news conference revealed that they had found additional evidence that Sun had stashed away in a black bag, including a 9 mm handgun and more than 1,600 rounds of assorted ammunition.


Assorted ammunition police found to be in Sun's possession. (Photo by CBS 3)

After the additional evidence had been discovered, Taiwanese attorney Chiu Chang (邱彰) told Apple Daily that Sun could face up to 10 years in jail. "If it is really identified as a crime involving transnational or intercontinental terrorist attacks under federal law, Sun is likely to be sentenced to 10 years," said Chiu on April 3.

However, on a Facebook post released on April 8, Chiu said it appeared that Sun may be able to avoid jail time after being diagnosed as suffering a mental illness and could return home as soon as May, and he credited his celebrity mother for expediting his apparent impending release.

Sun's official court hearing is set for April 25.