Carleton College Gun Incident: Suspect Is Released

NORTHFIELD, MN — The Northfield Police Department is releasing information about a potentially dangerous incident they say occurred earlier this week. At about 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, Northfield officers were dispatched to the 200 block of Division St. N., (Laird Stadium area) on a report of a male subject waving a gun and threatening to shoot people. Carleton Security received the initial call and relayed information to police dispatch.

While officers were enroute, they received information that the reporting party had located the subject and was following him westbound from the Highway 3 area on 2nd St. West. Officers located the subject in the 500 block of 2nd St. West and took him into custody without incident.

Officers recovered a replica/toy handgun from the area of the subject; the handgun was easily mistaken for a real firearm, according to police. The 29-year-old male was taken to the Northfield Hospital Emergency Room for examination and was then placed at the Rice County Jail pending criminal charges.

Northfield police told Patch in an email that the Rice County Attorney's Office decided to release the subject without charging him. The facts available did not support a criminal charge at this time, authorities said.

Police said Tuesday that per "current information," this was an isolated incident, involving a single suspect.

There is no further danger to the community at large or the Carleton Campus in specific, according to police. Carleton officials have already notified their campus community of the incident.

The Northfield Police Department thanked their partners at Carleton Security for their quick response and assistance locating the suspect. If not for their help, the suspect may have evaded capture.

"Once again, we see an example of how strong community relationships, and the actions of engaged residents make our city safer," police said in a statement.

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