A former Tarkio student who brought a loaded gun to school earlier this year has admitted in federal court to illegally possessing a machine gun.
Knoth went to school at Tarkio High School in February wearing military-style clothing and displayed a fully loaded magazine to another student. The student alerted a teacher, who then contacted authorities. School officials discovered a loaded pistol in his backpack, along with several loaded magazines, a spring-assisted knife, a seatbelt cutter, and a window punch. Knoth was arrested on scene.
During a search of Knoth’s home in Tarkio, investigators found an AR-style .223/.556 gun with no visible serial numbers. They also found a second machine gun in the dresser and hundreds of rounds of ammo.
Knoth faces up to 10 years in federal prison without parole on the charge for possessing a machine gun. A sentencing hearing had not been scheduled as of press time.
A preliminary hearing in Atchison County Court is scheduled to take place this Thursday, September 15, on felony charges of Unlawful Use Of A Weapon – Subsection 10 – Carries Loaded Weapon Into School, Bus, Premises, Function and Making A Terrorist Threat With Reckless Disregard Of Risk Of Causing Evacuation/Close Building, Inhabitable Structure, Place Of Assmbly, Fac. Of Trns.