Terri Hernandez told police around the time of his arrest in Bristol last year that he was suffering from deteriorating mental health problems, including bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Dennis Hernandez was shocked with a stun gun and taken into custody after he came out of his sister’s house with his arms raised, screaming “shoot me” and threatening to harm officers, police said.

Federal prosecutors said Hernandez threatened a shooting at UConn’s main campus in Storrs in July 2023 while messaging another person on Facebook.

“I would recommend staying away from there because if I leave I will destroy everything,” Hernandez wrote, according to court documents. “And don’t worry about who gets caught in the crossfire. I’ve been dying for years now and now it’s other people’s turn. I am ready to give my life. … I realize that not all shootings are bad. Some are necessary for change to take place.”

According to court documents, Hernandez was struggling financially, frustrated that other people were being hired as football coaches and feeling obligated by UConn. He played quarterback and wide receiver for the Huskies.

Police said Hernandez drove to the UConn campus and Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, where he once served as quarterbacks coach, to “plan the schools for a shooting.”

Also in July 2023, prosecutors said Hernandez threatened in multiple Facebook posts to hurt or kill three people living outside Connecticut, including a state court judge.

Hernandez has filed charges in Connecticut state court in connection with an incident outside ESPN headquarters in Bristol. He was arrested in March 2023 for breach of peace after police said he threw a bag containing a brick and a note over a fence onto ESPN’s property before leaving.

“To all media: It is time for all of you to really pay attention to the impact that media has on all family members. Since you are a global leader, perhaps you could lead the way media and messages are delivered brick by brick. Clean up! Sincerely, Dennis J. Hernandez,” the note said, according to police.

Authorities said Hernandez was angry at people he believed were profiting from his younger brother’s death. Aaron Hernandez took his own life in 2017 while serving a murder sentence.