Former St. Catherine Security Guard Pleads Guilty

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A former security guard at St. Catherine University who accidentally shot himself and blamed a made-up black man has pleaded guilty to falsely reporting a crime.

Twenty-five-year-old Brent Ahlers of St. Louis Park entered his plea by mail. The Star Tribune reports the document was filed with the court Tuesday, the day Ahlers was scheduled to appear on the misdemeanor count for the first time.

The shooting happened in September in a wooded area of the St. Paul campus and led to a manhunt and an hourslong lockdown.

Ahlers, who is white, told investigators he accidentally shot himself and fabricated the story of an intruder. Community leaders said the false report put African-American men at risk.

Ahlers was fired from the all-women's Catholic university. Sentencing is set for Dec. 18.