A 29-year-old St. Cloud State University student was taken into custody Monday after campus and city officers say the student threatened to shoot others on campus, triggering a rapid police response in the middle of the afternoon. Officers tracked the student down shortly before 2 p.m., and investigators say they recovered a handgun along with several realistic-looking replica handguns before booking the student into the Stearns County Jail.
Report Hits Dispatch Just Before 2 p.m.
According to KARE 11, the St. Cloud Police Department said officers located the 29-year-old student on campus soon after the report came in and seized a handgun plus several replica firearms during the arrest. The student was then transported to the Stearns County Jail while investigators continued their work. Authorities have not released the student’s name or any additional details about what led up to the alleged threat.
Campus Response and Safety Systems
St. Cloud State’s Public Safety office says it partners closely with local law enforcement and keeps 24/7 patrols on the ground, along with blue-light phones and the Safe@StCloud mobile app, so students can report emergencies or request escorts. As noted by St. Cloud State Public Safety, the university relies on its Star Alert system to send urgent messages to students and staff, and counseling resources are available for anyone affected by campus incidents. Students are urged to contact Public Safety at 320-308-3333 if they need immediate assistance.
Legal Implications
In Minnesota, threatening to carry out a violent crime can fall under the state’s terroristic threats law, Minn. Stat. § 609.713, which covers direct or indirect threats made with the intent to terrorize or with reckless disregard for the risk of causing terror. State guidance and sentencing materials indicate that realistic-looking replica firearms can play a role in how cases are charged, and qualifying offenses can be brought as felonies. Prosecutors typically look at the full picture, including any weapons recovered, before deciding whether to file criminal charges.
What Comes Next in the Case
It was not immediately clear whether prosecutors had filed formal charges, according to KARE 11. County records show the student was booked into the Stearns County Jail. Anyone with information is asked to contact the St. Cloud Police Department nonemergency line or St. Cloud State Public Safety, as investigators continue to piece together what happened.
