Ohio Man’s Proximity to Targeted Campus Raises Concerns

An Ohio man, Tres Genco, described as an ‘incel’ and convicted of planning a mass shooting at a sorority, resides only two blocks away from Ohio State University (OSU). The Justice Department is seeking his eviction from his Columbus home due to safety concerns.

The Justice Department expressed these concerns in a motion filed on May 26 with U.S. District Judge Susan Dlott in the Southern District of Ohio. An OSU spokesperson echoed these worries, emphasizing student safety as a top priority.

The motion includes proposed conditions for Genco’s supervised release. It proposes that Genco must live more than two miles away from any Ohio university or college. His residence would require prior approval from the probation office. Additionally, he would be banned from entering any college grounds without prior authorization. The Justice Department also seeks to install computer monitoring software on Genco’s electronic devices.

Genco, hailing from Hillsboro, Ohio, was arrested in 2021. He pled guilty to attempting to commit a hate crime and was sentenced to six years in prison, followed by five years of supervised probation. His written manifesto titled “A Hideous Symphony” revealed his plotting to harm women out of hatred and jealousy. This document, found by deputies, underscored his intention to act against a sorority at OSU.

The government’s motion also includes a request to bar Genco from contacting Thomas Develin, a former cellmate and ex-Ohio National Guard member currently serving time for weapon charges and threats against a Jewish school.

Genco’s public defenders dismissed the Justice Department’s concerns while agreeing to the monitoring software and the request to avoid Develin. They shared that Genco, who is Jewish, positively influenced Develin by discussing his grandmother’s survival during the Holocaust.

Genco’s move to an apartment near OSU in mid-May, facilitated by Develin’s parents, adds complexity to the situation. His lawyers argued against the proposed restrictions, claiming they would destabilize Genco physically, financially, and psychologically.

They emphasized that the government could have set these conditions earlier in his supervised release. Imposing such restrictions now, they argue, would unfairly label Genco in a manner more severe than that of registered sex offenders. Before moving to his current residence, Genco lived in a halfway house without infractions and maintained steady employment since August.

As of yet, Judge Dlott has not made a decision regarding the motions, according to available court records.