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Trial set in Proctor attempted murder case

An October trial has been set for the Proctor man accused of threatening his family, firing more than three-dozen shots at his live-in girlfriend and pointing a rifle at a neighbor.

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Rusty George Kallis

An October trial has been set for the Proctor man accused of threatening his family, firing more than three-dozen shots at his live-in girlfriend and pointing a rifle at a neighbor.

Rusty George Kallis, 40, appeared briefly in State District Court in Duluth on Thursday morning. He faces seven felony charges.

Kallis allegedly told his girlfriend that he was holding her hostage and fired at least 38 rounds from an AR-15 during the Nov. 26 incident at the couple's residence on the 100 block of East Third Street in Proctor. Two minor children also were present for part of the incident.

Kallis was considering a plea agreement offered by the St. Louis County Attorney's Office. The defendant had been set to appear in court two weeks ago, only to have the appearance canceled after a lengthy delay while attorneys were in discussions.

It was rescheduled for Thursday as a plea hearing, and the alleged victim was at the courthouse, but defense attorney John Schmid told 6th Judicial Judge Theresa Neo that there was no resolution reached in the case.

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A four-day trial was scheduled to begin Oct. 17.

Neo last month upheld all seven charges against Kallis: attempted first-degree premeditated murder, three counts of second-degree assault, two counts of making threats of violence and one count of false imprisonment.

Authorities said Kallis planned the assault after an argument while his girlfriend and the children were away from the home. When they returned, he allegedly pointed the rifle at his girlfriend and told her she was going to die.

The children were able to leave the residence, but the girlfriend reported that Kallis ordered her to stay, at one point firing several rounds from the weapon into the kitchen floor. At some point, Kallis left the room and the victim took the opportunity to flee through the back door, according to a criminal complaint.

Kallis allegedly vired a volley of shots in her direction, hitting a pickup truck in the driveway 19 times and a house across the street twice. In all, police said at least 38 shots were fired, but no injuries were reported.

The defendant was arrested a few blocks away in Duluth after allegedly pointing the AR-15 at another neighbor and threatening to shoot her.

Tom Olsen has covered crime and courts for the Duluth News Tribune since 2013. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Duluth and a lifelong resident of the city. Readers can contact Olsen at 218-723-5333 or tolsen@duluthnews.com.
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