Minnesota college student charged over cache of ammo, knives in dorm
A student at a private Minnesota college has been hit with a slew of charges over his cache of ammunition magazines, knives and a tactical vest — along with a hand-drawn map of a site on campus and chilling shooting instructions, according to court records.
Waylon Kurts, 20, was arrested last Thursday after a custodian at St. Olaf College in Northfield tipped off authorities about finding two empty packages belonging to the sophomore for high-capacity magazines in a garbage can outside dorm rooms.
Kurts was charged with conspiracy to commit second-degree assault and conspiracy to commit threats of violence, making terroristic threats and planning a theft.
When police searched Kurts’ room on campus, they found a tactical vest, empty boxes for ammunition and magazines, a tactical knife, a folding knife, firearm earmuffs, six propane canisters, fireworks, lighter fluid, a battery with wires and a lock pick set, the charging documents stated.
Cops also confiscated notebooks with writings that included a highly detailed plot to steal ammunition from a Walmart, police radio frequencies and a hand-drawn map of a recreational facility on campus, the Star Tribune reported.
The map included an arrow indicating a travel route and apparent exit path, the charges said.
In addition to the items found in Kurts’ room and vehicle, a criminal complaint said a search of his phone showed he texted someone about buying guns from unlicensed sellers.
Kurts also texted photos of a box filled with rifle magazines resting on a campus bench and the words, “Kids’ve got no idea whats in here, haha.”
Notes found in Kurts’ vehicle allegedly said “combat is much faster and closer than you think” and “the average door takes 2.5 kicks,” according to the complaint.
A notebook taken from the car contained training directions for where to shoot a person on their body, reported the station KARE11.
“One shot to the T-box equals death instantly,” the author of the notes wrote, using a slang term for the point where a person’s nose meets their forehead to form a “T” shape.
Another section of the notebook, titled “Things to be Good at,” stated: “Shoot a person in 3 areas: Upper thorasic [sic], T-zone on face, Pelvis is a good target.”
Kurts’ attorney, Paul Rogosheske, conceded that his client “has some things that look funny,” but insisted that there is nothing that poses a threat to anyone.
Rogosheske said the student is an avid camper and hunter who shoots a lot, and noted there were no guns or ammunition taken from Kurts’ room or vehicle.
He said Kurts drew the map for someone else.
Northfield Police Chief Mark Elliott said authorities are trying to determine what, if anything, Kurts was planning.
In a memo filed with the court, prosecutors with the Rice County Attorney’s Office alleged that Kurts “had been planning a mass casualty event,” in which the Skoglund-Tostrud recreational facility likely would have been targeted with “both firearms and explosives.”
Kurts, from Montpelier, Vermont, is a member of the St. Olaf’s track team. In the wake of his arrest, he was suspended from the college.
Kurts’ family told Northfield police that all his guns were in their Vermont home and he was not doing any shooting in Minnesota. But a shooting range and gun shop in Burnsville told police that the 20-year-old had visited “several times to shoot.”
Kurts appeared before a judge Monday and remains jailed on $100,000 bail. He is due back in court April 21.
With Post wires
