FARIBAULT, Minn. — A suspended St. Olaf College student was ordered to remain behind bars until his family can provide information on a number of firearms owned by the family, and assurances he will not be able to access those guns.
Waylon Kurts appeared in Rice County District Court Friday for a routine hearing on charges of conspiracy to commit second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, conspiracy to commit threats of violence and making terrorist threats. Prosecutors maintain Kurts was hatching a violent plot, one that may have targeted the St. Olaf campus.
Things got testy in court when Judge Karie Anderson, prosecutor Kathryn Burbank and defense attorney Paul Rogosheske dug into conditions of release that would allow the 20-year-old Kurts to leave jail and return home to Vermont to stay with his family.
The sticking point in the potential release involves firearms that were in the family home. Kurts' mother, who has put her job as a Harvard professor on hold so she can provide round-the-clock supervision, told the court via Zoom that there were "eight or nine" guns in the home, but they have since been moved to the home of a relative "never to be returned."
That didn't satisfy prosecutor Burbank, who expressed concern that Kurts would have access to the firearms if they were with a relative. She explained to Judge Anderson that a previous judge on the case ordered that the firearms be handed over to authorities in Kurts' hometown, but that the police refused to accept them or honor a court order that was issued in Minnesota.
Judge Anderson told the courtroom she was extremely concerned about the public safety aspects of this case and Kurts getting access to firearms, considering his alleged intentions. She told Kurts' mother that the court will need a list of every gun that was previously in the family home, the serial number and registered owner of each. Most importantly, she ordered that the relative now holding them sign an affidavit pledging that they would not allow access to the guns to the defendant or any member of his family.
Kurts' family has already posted a $100,000 bond and agreed that he will wear a GPS monitor so authorities can keep tabs on his movements. Once the court-ordered documentation of the weapons is complete and affidavits are signed, the defendant will be released from jail and allowed to leave the state.
A hearing to complete the matter is set for Wednesday, April 26 at 8:30 a.m.
Wayon Kurts was arrested after a search of his dorm room on April 5 revealed items of concern including empty packages for high capacity magazines and ammunition; a tactical vest and knife; a list with St. Olaf Public Safety radio frequencies and numerous notebooks with "extensive writings," among other items.
As concerning to authorities were notebooks found in Kurts' car when he was arrested in the Twin Cities on April 6. Found on the pages of those notebooks were:
- A hand-drawn map of Skoglund-Tostrud, the recreational facility on campus. The map included arrows indicating a path of travel and an exit path.
- A detailed plan to steal .308 ammunition from Walmart, including call signs, materials needed, and detailed actions to avoid detection.
- Notes with instructions on creating what Kurts labeled a “shoot house,” an indoor firing range typically used to train military and law enforcement personnel in close-quarters combat.
Kurts has been suspended from St. Olaf College. He was a member of both the track and cross-country teams.
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