A 20-year-old Montpelier man attending college in Minnesota faces charges after authorities found several items in his dorm room that school officials believed posed a threat, including knives, empty ammunition and magazine boxes and tactical gear.
Waylon S. Kurts, a sophomore at St. Olaf College, was jailed Monday for lack of $100,000 bail, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. He is due in court April 21 on charges of conspiracy to commit second-degree assault, conspiracy to commit threats of violence and terroristic threats.
According to the charges, the items found in Kurts’ dorm room included 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.
Police also confiscated notebooks with writings that included a plot to steal ammunition from a retailer, police radio frequencies and a hand-drawn map of the recreational facility on campus, the Star Tribune reported. The map includes an arrow indicating a travel route and apparent exit path, the charges said.
A police search of Kurts’ phone also turned up text messages indicating an attempt to buy guns from an unlicensed seller. According to the charges, Kurts texted photos of a box filled with rifle magazines on a campus bench and the words, “Kids’ve got no idea whats in here, haha.”
Kurts’ attorney said Kurts “has some things that look funny,” but said there is nothing that poses a threat to anyone, the Star Tribune reported. Rogosheske said his client is a hunter, and noted there were no guns or ammunition taken from Kurts’ room or vehicle. He said Kurts drew the map for someone else.
The Associated Press contributed to this story