SALEM, N.H. — A Derry man charged with making threats to the director of Southern New Hampshire University's Salem Center is on conditional release from the state psychiatric hospital, prosecutors said yesterday.
The threats led to a brief lockdown of the SNHU Salem campus Wednesday evening.
Shawn DeCoste, 31, was arraigned in Salem District Court by video feed from the Rockingham County jail yesterday morning. He is charged with misdemeanor counts of criminal threatening and disorderly conduct.
Prosecutor Bob Prince told the court DeCoste was on conditional release from the state psychiatric hospital in Concord. Hospital officials have notified authorities they want to take DeCoste into their care again.
DeCoste allegedly threatened Linda Richelson, the Salem center's director, during a phone conversation about 4 p.m. Wednesday after being told he could no longer attend the school. The university center at 19 Keewaydin Drive was put on lockdown until Salem police arrived and secured the area. The school was reopened in about an hour, with a police officer assigned to the building for the rest of the evening.
"We followed standard SNHU protocol," Richelson said. "We were very satisfied with Salem police; they responded within two minutes."
Richelson declined to describe the nature of DeCoste's threats, and authorities have not released any details.
Classes were not in session at the time of the phone conversation, and only four people were at the SNHU Salem satellite campus at the time, Richelson said. Classes started on schedule at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.
DeCoste was arrested in Derry on Wednesday evening, taken to Salem police headquarters for booking, and then brought to the county jail.
During his arraignment yesterday, DeCoste told District Court Judge John Korbey that he wasn't employed, but devoted much of his time to being an amateur comedian.
"I don't get paid, but I keep a busy schedule doing that," he said.
DeCoste's bail was set at $25,000 cash surety.
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