“The first of our kind has struck fear into the hearts of America. His cries have been heard, even by the president,” the warning on 4chan read. It continued, “This is only the beginning. The Beta Rebellion has begun. Soon, more of our brothers will take up arms to become martyrs in this revolution. On October fifth, at 1pm Central time, a fellow robot will take up arms at a university near Philadelphia. His cries will be heard, his victims will cover in fear, and the strength of the Union will decay a little more.”
In light of the deadly mass shooting last week at Oregon’s Umpqua Community College, the message was a particularly chilling one. But what made it all the more ominous was the similarity it bore to a 4chan message that appeared shortly before the Umpqua rampage, one that warned, “Don’t go to school tomorrow if you are in the northwest.”