Thought I should post Johnny Jihad Lindh here as well for a comparison to Hinrichs III.
Your comparison is probably dead on. College students often commit suicide. This is the first time I've ever heard of one using the "JIHAD METHOD". In my opinion, there is no other way to describe it. It is what it appears to be. If the authorities called it for what it is, they would cause panic on college campuses across the country.