Shawn Duane Rud

by April Scheinoha
Reporter

A Thief River Falls man has been charged after he allegedly attempted to rob a Thief River Falls store Saturday, Dec. 30. While masked, Shawn Duane Rud, 44, allegedly presented a note saying that he was going to bomb the store if he wasn’t given any money.

Rud has been charged with felony attempted second degree aggravated robbery and gross misdemeanor ineligible person to possess ammunition. Rud was booked into the Pennington County Jail on Tuesday, Jan. 2.

Rud was allegedly linked to the robbery through his handwriting and distinctive clothing. A notepad found at his home allegedly contained an impression of the note.

On Dec. 30 at about 8:03 p.m., police received a report of an attempted robbery at Hugo’s in Thief River Falls. While a cashier was standing near her cash register, a masked man allegedly a handed her a note demanding money. The note said the man would detonate a bomb if she didn’t comply. After learning the man was serious, the cashier attempted to locate a manager. The man, wearing a gray T-shirt over his head, left the store without obtaining any money.

Three days later, the police investigator reviewed surveillance footage from the store. He also learned that responding officers allegedly thought the note featured handwriting similar to a handwritten note from Rud in 2018. The investigator then reviewed photos from a prior investigation and video surveillance from a November incident involving Rud at the Rusty Nail. The photos and video surveillance allegedly depicted Rud wearing shoes similar to shoes worn by the masked man.

That same day, a Pine to Prairie Drug Task Force officer reviewed calls from the previous weekend. On Dec. 30, Rud allegedly called a hotline, saying he had a gun, planned to shoot himself and “was open to the idea of suicide by cop.” A day earlier, he had called social services, saying he had a gun in his mouth. The PTPDTF officer also found three other calls to police dating back to Dec. 17 in which Rud allegedly claimed he had a gun.

The officer then obtained a search warrant for Rud’s person and residence at 110 Conley Ave. N. The search warrant was executed Tuesday, Jan. 2.

Inside Rud’s home, a Pennington County Sheriff’s Office investigator allegedly observed gloves and shoes that appeared to match those worn by the masked man. Both were found in plain view.

The sheriff’s investigator also found a few pieces of paper featuring Rud’s handwriting. A notepad was located on the kitchen table. It contained an impression of a note saying “Give me all the money I Blow Bomb.” The impression matched the note provided to the cashier.

The PTPDTF officer allegedly found a .410 shotgun shell in a shed on Rud’s property. The complaint indicated that Rud was “committed by judicial determination that he was mentally ill and committed to a treatment facility” in April 2019. His rights to possess firearms or ammunition haven’t been restored.