‘Incel’ Sentenced to Prison for Threatening Mass Shooting of 'Chads and Stacies’ at University of Arizona

A Tucson man was sentenced recently to 16 months in prison for threatening to carry out a mass shooting at the University of Arizona, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona announced.

Michael Pengchung Lee, 27, pleaded guilty in April to a charge of interstate threats for transmitting threats through interstate communications to commit a mass shooting at the university.

On Oct. 22, 2023, Lee, who is not a student at the university, made the threat in a group chat on the social media platform Snapchat. He expressed his desire to get revenge on “all the chads and stacies!!”

"Chad" and "Stacy" are terms used by self-described "incels," or involuntary celibates, to describe popular, muscular men and attractive, unattainable women.

Lee made additional references to incel ideology and ended the conversation by saying, "im gonna do it guys, my mind is made up and there’s nothing u can do or say to stop me.”

When pleading guilty, Lee admitted the messages "referenced incel ideology, language, and motivations, including referring to a well-known, self-identified incel and mass shooter," prosecutors said.

Never miss a story — sign up for the Front Page Detectives newsletter. Be on the scene the moment news breaks.

He also admitted making the same mass shooting threat in at least two other Snapchat conversations.

U.S. District Judge Rosemary Márquez sentenced Lee to 16 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release under conditions including substance abuse testing, a mental health assessment, location monitoring, and a no-contact provision barring Lee from the University of Arizona campus.

TMX contributed to this report.