ORLANDO, Fla. _ The University of Central Florida student who alarmed police after exhibiting strange behavior and purchasing high-powered rifles has been deported to China for violating his visa, federal authorities said Thursday.
Wenliang Sun, 26, had been in federal custody for about three months before he was deported Tuesday. He's prohibited from returning to the United States for at least 10 years, said Tammy Spicer, a spokesperson for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
University police began investigating Sun after he made "unusual statements" to a school counselor last year, authorities said. Privacy laws prevent officials from elaborating on those statements.
University staff also reported a "dramatic change" in his appearance and behavior _ including spending nearly $70,000 cash on a new car "out of the blue," investigators said.
Detectives also discovered that Sun owned two high-powered rifles. Sun told investigators that he never intended to harm himself or others, and authorities acknowledge that he never made specific threats.
Both guns were legally purchased, as federal law permits non-immigrant visa holders to own firearms if they also carry a hunting license, which Sun did.
However, authorities discovered that Sun was not attending class _ a requirement of his visa. A federal judge revoked his visa, and he was taken into custody on Feb. 7.
Immigration officials said in March the proceedings wouldn't have happened so quickly had Sun not bought the weapons and acted strangely.
"Under normal circumstances, it probably would not have moved that quickly," said Tim Dwyer, an official with the Department of Homeland Security. "He probably would've been placed on notice, and we would have issued him a notice to appear, indicating that he would need to go before an immigration judge and deal with his status _ or lack thereof."
