Former St. Kate’s student accused of setting fire pleads guilty to federal charges
Tnuza Jamal Hassan[Ramsey County Sheriff's Office]
A former St. Catherine University student accused of setting multiple fires on campus entered a guilty plea on Wednesday.
According to federal court records, 22-year-old Tnuza Jamal Hassan pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, namely to al-Qaida.
Her sentencing has been set for Dec. 17.
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Investigators say Hassan set several fires in buildings across the St. Kate’s campus in St. Paul in January 2018.
Hassan told investigators she "wanted the school to burn to the ground" and intended to hurt people. She’s also accused of saying "you guys are lucky I don’t know how to build a bomb."
Investigators say Hassan indicated to them she intended to travel to Afghanistan to support al-Qaida and the Taliban.
Court documents also say Hassan gave a letter to two Muslim students on St. Kate’s campus encouraging them to join at terrorist organization in March of 2017.
Hassan was also charged with one count of first-degree arson in Ramsey County. In 2019, she was found to be incompetent to stand trial by a Ramsey County judge.