Faribault Man Charged in School Bus Gun Incident

Faribault, MN (KROC-AM News) - A man accused of pointing a rifle at a school bus in Faribault last week has been charged with felony assault.

The criminal complaint filed against 38-year-old Alex Jeffrey Wolters lists charges of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and threats of violence. He remains in custody at the Rice County Jail with his conditional bail set at $100,000.

School Bus Aide Reported Man With Rifle

According to the charges, Faribault police responded around 7:40 AM on March 5 to a report about a man holding what appeared to be a long gun. The report came from an aide on a school bus that was transporting nine students.

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The criminal complaint says the aide told police the bus was moving as the man approached the street and raised the suspected rifle. Investigators later reviewed video recorded from inside the bus and described a noticeable change in the aide's demeanor just before she stood up and said, “What the heck was that?” and then stated, “That guy was pointing a gun at us.”

Suspect Arrested After Police Perimeter

The court document indicates the woman then directed Faribault police to the residence from which the man had emerged holding the suspected firearm. Law enforcement established a perimeter around the property and arrested Wolters when he exited the house.

When interviewed by investigators, Wolters stated that he had been checking the insulation on the third floor of the home and went out to the garage that morning, but he denied pointing anything at anyone passing the house.

Investigators Find Tubing Shaped Like Long Gun

The criminal complaint says investigators searched the home and garage and found a three-foot-long copper tube and some black plastic tubing. The court document says the black tube was taped together with another curved tube and the copper tube was fitted inside it. When assembled, investigators said it had the distinct shape of a long gun. Some spent shell casings were also found in a bedroom of the home.

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Weapons Located Inside Gun Safes

Investigators also reported two large gun safes were located in the garage. The safes contained four rifles, three shotguns, a pistol, and a pellet rifle. The criminal complaint says Wolters’ father claimed he was the only person with access to the safes, although the dial lock on one of the safes appeared to have been tampered with.

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Previous Charges and Convictions

Court records show that Wolters was charged in January with felony terroristic threats stemming from an incident that occurred last June. The criminal complaint in that case alleges Wolters went to an apartment in Faribault and threatened to kill everyone in the residence.

The court document indicates his criminal record also includes previous convictions for fleeing police, first-degree assault, second-degree burglary, motor vehicle theft, and harassment.

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