A New Hope man who posted an online threat to shoot Somalis at a St. Cloud State University cultural event pleaded guilty Monday to making terroristic threats.
James Scott Miller, 49, admitted posting the threat in response to an advertisement he saw on Craigslist that gave details about a Somali cultural night at St. Cloud State.
Miller has been in custody since his arrest in late March, and he was released from jail after his plea. He will be sentenced at a later date, and a plea agreement caps his sentence at 90 days.
Miller said he saw the advertisement for the Somali event on Craigslist. That ad listed the admission price at $10 per person. Miller admitted that, in response to the post, he wrote: "I'll bring my rifle. I'll gladly pay $10 for target practice."
He didn't realize the threat would cause people to fear for their safety, he said during his plea hearing Monday.
"I see that now," Miller said. "I didn't realize it then."
A Cold Spring resident saw what Miller posted and called St. Cloud State, and university officials contacted St. Cloud police.
Officers spoke to Miller, who told them he made the post because he lives in an apartment building with a large Somali population and that he's mad at them because "they have no respect for anyone else in this building," according to the complaint charging Miller.
He agreed to stay away from St. Cloud State as a condition of his sentence, telling Stearns County District Court Judge Vicki Landwehr he doesn't even know where the university is.
Source: St. Cloud Times