St. Olaf Student Arrested, Charged After Attacking Students: Officials

NORTHFIELD, MN — A St. Olaf College student is in custody at Rice County Jail after police said he attacked a female student and three others early Sunday morning.

William Schulenburg was charged with one count of first-degree attempted murder and three counts of second-degree assault, according to a criminal complaint filed in Rice County District Court.

A witness told police that Schulerburg had climbed through a dorm window during a get-together in Ytterboe Hall and hit the female student with a hammer at least three times and stabbed her with a knife at least twice, prosecutors said. Three other male students were injured in the attack when they tried to protect the female student and subdue Schulenburg, according to police.

Two of the male students were treated at Northfield Hospital for injuries that weren't life-threatening. The female student is still in the hospital in stable condition, police said.

At 12:15 a.m. Sunday, the Northfield Police Department said officers responded to Ytterboe Hall, a residential hall on St. Olaf College's campus, for a report of a stabbing.

When police arrived, they reported seeing three male students sitting shoulder-to-shoulder and found a knife and hammer in the room. Schulerburg was in the middle and had blood on his hands, according to prosecutors. The female student had already been taken to the hospital before police arrived.

When a responding officer asked Schulerburg if he had hurt anybody, prosecutors said he responded, "Myself and others, yes." He was arrested.

Police said Schulerburg and the female student had a prior relationship, and according to prosecutors, St. Olaf College had issued a no-contact order for Schulerburg to stay away from her.

At the hospital, the woman identified Schulerburg as her attacker, prosecutors said.

In a post-Miranda statement, Schulerburg told police he had planned to buy a gun to shoot himself or someone else, with "someone else" being the female student, prosecutors said.

The Northfield Police Department said there's no ongoing threat to the public.