NORTHFIELD, Minn. (AP) — A judge has dismissed some of the most serious charges against a former Minnesota college student who police and prosecutors feared was plotting a campus shooting.
Waylon Kurts, of Montpelier, Vermont, who was then a student at St. Olaf College in Northfield, was charged last April with conspiracy to commit second-degree assault, conspiracy to commit threats of violence, making terroristic threats, and a less serious count of conspiracy to commit theft. Prosecutors alleged he was “planning a mass casualty event.”
But Rice County Judge Christine Long this week dismissed two of the felony counts against Kurts, citing a lack of evidence that he was conspiring with anyone to commit assault or threats of violence, KARE-TV reported.
Kurts, who has pleaded not guilty and is free on bail, has maintained that he is a recreational firearms enthusiast and was just exchanging text messages on that topic with a like-minded friend.
Nelly Korda 1 shot back through 36 holes at Chevron Championship as she chases 5th straight victory
Haliburton guides Pacers past Raptors 140
Nyingchi greets peach blossoms
CBA Roundup: Liaoning beat Xinjiang, Golden Bulls bag 8th straight win
Biden administration restricts oil and gas leasing in Alaska
Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 31,490: ministry
The Civil War raged and fortune
Ohio River near Pittsburgh is closed as crews search for missing barge, one of 26 that broke loose
UN refugee agency tells Cyprus to stick to the law in its efforts at sea to thwart refugee boats
Jelly Roll reveals he's lost '70