NORTHFIELD, Minn. – A St. Olaf Faculty pupil is dealing with a number of felony fees after authorities discovered weapons, equipment, and several other different concerning items in his dorm room late final week.
Prices filed in Rice County District Courtroom on Monday allege that Waylon Sieber Kurts, 20, of Montpelier, Vt., engaged in a conspiracy to commit acts of violence and was probably planning a “mass casualty occasion.”
College authorities have been first alerted on the morning of April 5 after custodial employees discovered empty packages for high-capacity magazines, one for a rifle (60 rounds), the opposite for a Glock pistol (24 rounds), in a rubbish can outdoors the dorm rooms. Packaging addressed to Kurts was discovered within the rubbish can however contained an off-campus tackle.
A subsequent search of Kurts’ room on campus was performed the place faculty authorities discovered knives, a tactical vest, a 24-round Glock pistol journal, fireworks, lighter fluid, six propane canisters, a battery with wires, a lock choose set, capturing earmuffs, empty bins from ammunition and gun magazines, in addition to a be aware containing radio frequencies for St. Olaf Public Security and a pocket book with quite a few writings.
The varsity’s public security director met with Kurts following the search, and Kurts reported that he was a gun fanatic and believed that the firearm gear he had in his dorm room was inside school coverage, the prison grievance says. Kurts additionally informed faculty authorities that he saved his high-capacity magazines and ammunition off campus at a firearms-related enterprise in Burnsville. Regulation enforcement later contacted the enterprise which suggested that they don’t have storage lockers for individuals to retailer their firearms or ammunition. Workers did acknowledge images of Kurts and stated that he had been to
their vary a number of occasions to shoot.
The general public security director requested Kurts if he may search Kurts’ car. Kurts responded that it was off campus and that the director didn’t have authority to go looking his car. Kurts reported that he would enable Northfield police to go looking the car in the event that they obtained a warrant. When requested how he obtained the radio frequencies, Kurts reported that he had no concept however knew they have been utilized by St. Olaf Public Security. Kurts was suspended by the school and faraway from campus at that time.
Prices say Kurts’ household in Vermont was contacted who reported that every one of Kurts’ firearms have been situated of their residence in Vermont and that Kurts didn’t do any capturing in Minnesota.
Kurts’ notebooks have been additional examined by legislation enforcement the place they discovered a hand-drawn map of the Skoglund-Tostrud leisure facility on campus which included arrows delineating a path of journey, apparently an exit path. The web page instantly previous to the map had been ripped out.
The pocket book additionally contained an in depth plan to steal .308 ammunition from Walmart, together with name indicators, supplies wanted, and detailed actions to keep away from detection. The plans concerned three people and described, to the second, what wanted to happen for a profitable theft. The plan included the usage of radios.
The notes additionally mentioned particulars about radios and associated gear, in addition to directions on creating what Kurts labeled a “shoot home,” the grievance stated.
The Northfield Police Division was contacted later within the day on Wednesday, April 5, and started looking for Kurts who didn’t return cellphone calls.
An alert to police was aired over Minneapolis dispatch simply after 1 a.m. on Thursday, April 6, for officers to be looking out for a white Scion with Vermont plates. In accordance with the dispatch, the car was believed to include weapons, knives, tactical vests, and explosives. The dispatcher stated plans have been discovered within the particular person’s dorm room to “shoot up colleges and homes.”
Kurts was arrested on Thursday, April 6, at 1 p.m. outdoors an Edina enterprise and was charged Monday with felony counts of conspiracy to commit second-degree assault with a harmful weapon, conspiracy to commit threats of violence, and terroristic threats, in addition to a misdemeanor cost involving conspiracy to commit a theft.
Prices say Kurts’ car and cellphone have been seized pursuant to a warrant. A search of the cellphone revealed a number of textual content conversations with an unnamed co-conspirator. Some conversations concerned discussing radios and listening to numerous frequencies. A number of conversations concerned firearms, together with milling and drilling components to construct rifles. There have been additionally conversations about delivery gadgets to completely different places in order that packages wouldn’t be flagged as suspicious and wouldn’t make the varsity “freak out.”
One textual content message dialog included images from Kurts displaying a field that was filled with rifle magazines on a bench on the St. Olaf campus with the textual content, “Youngsters’ve obtained no concept whats in right here, haha [sic].” The 2 additionally mentioned buying handguns from unlicensed sellers.
Inside Kurts’ car, legislation enforcement discovered a small pocket book with in depth notes on fight and weapons, together with notes that stated, “Fight is way sooner and nearer than you suppose,” and, “The typical door takes 2.5 kicks.”
Kurts made his first court docket look on Monday, and bail was set at $100,000. Courtroom information present Kurts has retained a personal legal professional.
A doc filed with the court docket from Assistant Rice County Lawyer Kathryn M. Burbank said that Kurts’ mom was planning to submit a conditional launch bail quantity and deliberate to return with Kurts to their residence in Vermont. Burbank requested the choose to request that Kurts’ household give up their firearms to native Vermont authorities as Kurts has been ordered by the court docket to not possess firearms whereas fees are pending. The doc states that protection counsel acknowledged that there are firearms within the Vermont household residence, together with an assault rifle.
A subsequent correspondence to the choose from Kurts’ legal professional states that Kurts’ mom desires him to stay in custody whereas she returns to Vermont to “be sure that every thing is secure.”
The Vermont residence tackle listed on court docket paperwork for Kurts is identical as writer Woden Teachout of Vermont. The connection between Kurts and Teachout couldn’t be instantly confirmed.
Alpha Information will proceed to comply with developments on this story.
Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes information, information and commentary about crime, public security and livability points in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Better Minnesota.
This text initially appeared at Alpha News.
