Police: Brother of former NFL star Aaron Hernandez allegedly ‘mapped out’ shootings at UConn, Brown University

The 37-year-old former UConn wide receiver and quarterback was taken into custody last Wednesday outside a Bristol residence where police allege he threatened to kill responding officers and had to be tased.

Dennis “D.J.” Hernandez, the brother of former NFL star Aaron Hernandez who died by suicide while in prison on a murder conviction, was arrested last week after allegedly going to both the University of Connecticut and Brown University earlier this month to “map the schools out” for the presumed purpose of carrying out mass shootings, according to court documents obtained by the Hartford Courant.

The 37-year-old former UConn wide receiver and quarterback was taken into custody last Wednesday outside a Bristol residence where police allege he threatened to kill responding officers and had to be tased. Two children in the home, ages 12 and 5, were safely evacuated and not harmed, Bristol police wrote in court documents tied to Hernandez’s arrest.

Hernandez was arrested on charges of second-degree threatening, second-degree breach of peace and second-degree failure to appear.

The failure to appear charge he faces stemmed from a missed court appearance in New Britain Superior Court on July 7 when he was scheduled to answer to a charge tied to an arrest in March after he took an Uber to ESPN’s headquarters on Middle Street in Bristol and allegedly threw a brick onto its campus with a note attached that said it’s about time the company realized the effect “media has on all family members,” police wrote in the incident report.

Instead of attending court earlier this month, a person close to Hernandez told Bristol police last Tuesday he allegedly drove to UConn and Brown University in Rhode Island and walked into a number of buildings and classrooms to “map out the schools,” according to Bristol police reports. The person who shared the texts “surmised” that he was planning to commit a school shooting, police wrote.

“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,” Hernandez allegedly wrote in text messages that were reportedly shared with police. “The coaches and university officials want to be selfish and selective about (expletive), well I am too. Very. They are going to get surprised. Love you, I would recommend remaining away from there because when I go I’m taking down everything And (sic) don’t give a (expletive) who gets caught in the cross fire (sic). I’ve died for wears (sic) now and now it’s other peoples turn. I’m prepared to give my life So (sic) if I don’t get to see you on the outside know I love you always.”

Hernandez went on to say reportedly that “not all shootings are bad I’m realizing,” according to Bristol police reports. “Some are necessary for change to happen.”

Those close to Hernandez expressed concern to police that he has been “displaying very erratic behavior lately” and is “extremely sick” with a deteriorating mental health situation, Bristol police wrote in their report. A woman who was dating the former UConn football player told police the two went to a beach on July 3 and that he broke down after someone recognized him as the brother of Aaron Hernandez, according to the police report. Since then, police wrote, Hernandez has been rambling about people owing him money and reportedly wrote in multiple text messages concerning statements like “We’re taking lives if (expletive) isn’t paid up” and “It’s been years in planning just taking notes, names and locations.”

According to Bristol police, an officer with the UConn Police Department was able to confirm via surveillance footage that Hernandez’s car was at the school’s campus on July 7. A police officer at Brown University was unable to immediately confirm whether he had driven to the Rhode Island campus when contacted by Bristol officers.

“Despite reports of an alleged visit to Providence, our investigation to date indicates that Hernandez has not been on Brown’s campus in recent weeks,” a spokesperson for Brown University said Tuesday. “Given the nature of the alleged threats, we remain in contact with law enforcement partners in Connecticut taking the lead on the investigation.”

Hernandez was the quarterbacks coach at Brown University for one season during the 2011-12 academic year, the spokesperson said, adding that police at the school “implemented protective measures immediately” upon being made aware of the alleged threats.

Michael Enright, a spokesperson for UConn, said the UConn Police Department was aware of initial information related to the subsequent arrest of Hernandez by the Bristol Police Department.

“Police departments evaluate threats for credibility and imminence and the necessary resources are deployed to address the threat,” Enright said in the statement Tuesday.

“At the time, there was no known imminent threat to UConn,” Enright continued. “The Bristol Police Department located Hernandez and took him into custody a short time later. The UConn Police Department treats any potential threat to our campus communities with the utmost seriousness. If anyone has any information on threats or concerns related to our campuses, they are urged to contact the UConn Police Department with this information as soon as possible.”

During their investigation, Bristol police wrote in their incident report that investigators discovered that Hernandez made numerous social media posts last Wednesday prior to his arrest in which he used what was described as “threatening and concerning language.”

“Will I kill?” Hernandez reportedly wrote. “Absolutely, I’ve warned my enemies so pay up front.”

According to the arrest report, a number of Bristol police officers last Wednesday responded to the residence where they believed Hernandez was. The large police presence was used to establish a perimeter around the home after two children — whose relationship to Dennis is not established in the report — were safely out of the residence. Police said he did not answer the door but agreed to speak with a specific officer, reportedly telling him he was armed and would kill any police officers who approached him, the report said.

Shortly thereafter, Hernandez exited the residence and began advancing toward police with his arms “outstretched to his side” and began yelling “shoot me,” disregarding multiple commands from officers until he was tased, according to the Bristol police report.

Hernandez was then taken to an area hospital where police said he reportely continued making threats, the report said. He also reportedly mentioned ESPN specifically, police wrote.

D.J.’s younger brother, Aaron Hernandez, was a star tight end for the New England Patriots when he was implicated and charged in three murders. The younger Hernandez’s arrests and two murder trials received intense media coverage.

Aaron Hernandez was convicted of killing semi-professional football player Odin Lloyd and was found not guilty in a double homicide in Boston before he committed suicide in prison in April 2017.

D.J. Hernandez, who also went by Jonathan, coached high school football at Southington in 2010 and Ledyard in 2017.

Hernandez remains in custody in lieu of a $250,000 bond since the arrest, according to court records.