Law enforcement say suspect in University of Minnesota shooting threats has been arrested, all-clear is given
MINNEAPOLIS — Law enforcement say that the man who earlier threatened to shoot people on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus has been arrested in Chippewa County.
"Campus may resume normal operations," police reported just after 1 p.m.
Law enforcement agencies earlier announced they had been searching for 41-year-old Joseph Rongstad. The Chippewa County Sheriff's Office says it was tipped off to a social media post on Thursday morning about a threat to its staff and U students. Deputies searched the suspect's home Thursday morning, but his whereabouts remained unknown for hours.
The sheriff's office confirmed his arrest around 5 p.m. He is being held at the Chippewa Count Jail on probable cause felony threats of violence. Charges are expected to be filed in the coming days.
U officials encouraged students and "all others" to stay away from campus until the situation was resolved. Nonessential employees were asked to work from home if they could.
"If you really think about this day and age with gun violence across the country I would say I have a right to be concerned," student Jeremy Plofsky said.
The campus was even more deserted than on most breaks. Police cars with their lights on posted as sentries at various buildings and entrances.
Spring semester doesn't begin until Tuesday, so there were far fewer students on campus than there would be on a normal day.
"You don't think it's going to happen to you or your community, so it's really scary," student Sofiya Briguene said. "I am just glad no one was hurt but I think it's a good decision to close down campus."
WCCO has confirmed that the University of Minnesota Fairview Campus was placed on lockdown as a precaution. There was a large law enforcement presence on campus all morning, with squads parked outside a number of university buildings.
The campus remained open with normal operations, with extra officers patrolling the area. The university said the threat was proved not to be credible, and the suspect did not travel to campus. The Twin Cities campus resumed its full operations on Thursday afternoon.
The University of Minnesota released the following statement regarding the incident:
"We are deeply grateful to the many law enforcement partners who contributed to today's investigation and continue to work this case, starting with the Chippewa County Sheriff's Office, which alerted us to this threat and is leading ongoing efforts to apprehend the suspect. We also appreciate the support of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, State Patrol, Hennepin County Sheriff's Department, Minneapolis PD and Metro Transit Police. As always, we also owe heartfelt thanks to our UMPD and Department of Public Safety personnel, who quickly shifted plans this morning to support the needed efforts to monitor and secure our campus."
Suspect has lengthy record
Among the reasons authorities had to take the threats so seriously is because police have had many run-ins with Rongstad before.
WCCO dug in court records for nearly a dozen cases — they included several arrests and convictions for crimes like drugs, theft and DUIs. In 2016, though, several charges were suspended after a judge found the man "incompetent."
According to court documents, an evaluation diagnosed him with "delusional disorder" based on his meth and drug use, and he wasn't capable of having any substantive discussions with his lawyers.
A few years, he was cleared and found mentally fit by another judge, and former business associate says he made strides in "cleaning up his life" and getting back to work.
This summer, though, there was a relapse and the associate said "I would never condemn the guy... He's obviously got problems."
Records also show the man was committed for an incident involving his neighbor, Kyle Jones, who served as Mayor of Watson right after Rongstad did.
"Couple of years ago, he broke into my house here and tried to take my computers and stuff," Jones said. "And I think he was starting to go down a conspiracy hole then, thinking I had files or something. I don't know, but they caught him after that."
Neighbor recounts moments of arrest
Jones says he wasn't surprised by how his Thursday started.
"When I left this morning, there were a couple deputies, kind of watching the house. And then when I came home, they brought in SWAT teams and all that. We actually posted a sniper here in the house," Jones said.
Jones and his son watched the day unfold from their basement in case the bomb threats were real.
"I was concerned, you know, that either he would take himself out or they would have to do something," Jones said.
Despite the panic caused in Watson and at the U of M, Jones is happy it didn't end worse and hopeful it won't happen again.
"We have to be real careful to listen to people and know when they're suffering with mental illnesses and to get help when we can," Jones said. "He obviously needs help. I hope he gets it this time."
Mental Health Resources: Crisis services are available around the clock if you or someone you care about is having a mental health crisis. Call **CRISIS (**274747) from a cellphone to talk to a team of professionals who can help you. Text "MN" to 741741. More info here.
