A student at the University of Southern California (USC) was arraigned on Thursday for threatening fellow students with a weapon following the shooting massacre at Virginia Tech.

Zao Xing Yang, 19, was arrested on April 22 when an argument broke out at an off-campus party and the host noticed he was carrying a gun, police said.

Yang is charged with two counts each of making criminal threats and assault with a firearm. He is being held without bail.

If convicted, Yang faces a maximum of 18 years in prison, according to the District Attorney's Office.

According to police Chief William Bratton, some students overheard Yang talking to a young woman at a party at a private home.

"At one point, the host of the party asked Yang to leave after he was heard making intimidating statements to the coed and then threatening her with violence," Bratton said.

"Yang began arguing with the host, and that's when he noticed Yang had a gun in his hand," Bratton said. "Several students wrestled the gun away from Yang, and held him until campus security and then LAPD (Los Angeles Police Department) officers arrived."

During a search of Yang's off-campus home, detectives discovered a safe, in which they allegedly found methamphetamine packaged for sale, a .44-caliber Magnum revolver and several hundred dollars in cash.

Yang's arrest grabbed the attention of Bratton, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the media because it occurred about six days after the shooting massacre at Virginia Tech University, in which 33 people were killed.