PORT ANGELES — An expelled Forks High School student who allegedly threatened to kill a classmate and kept a manifesto about killing another person is being held on $100,000 bail.
Kelvin Richard Banks, 19, was arrested Wednesday for investigation of felony harassment with threats to kill after several witnesses reported hearing him say he wanted to kill a 15-year-old girl.
The girl told Forks police that Banks had made repeated sexual comments toward her during the school year and that she confronted him about his behavior Tuesday, court papers said.
The girl said Banks would not stop looking at her and that she walked out of class when a teacher refused to let her change seats.
Several witnesses reported that Banks became upset and made statements such as “I wanna hurt her. I want to kill her,” Officer Julie Goode wrote in the affidavit for probable cause.
Banks has since been expelled from school.
Forks police executed a search warrant and found nine firearms, including an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, in Banks’ bedroom, prosecutors said.
Also found were homemade silencers with powder residue and burn marks, high-capacity magazines and tactical vests, court papers said.
A second search warrant led to the discovery of a handwritten manifesto called “Reckoning Day” and Past Life” in which Banks describes getting into a shootout with an unnamed man, dismembering him, putting his remains into a barrel and using battery acid to dissolve him, Goode said in the probable cause statement.
“He talks about being in a gang and blowing up his house when the cops go in,” Goode said.
“He also mentions carrying his revolver around so that he won’t need to use knives anymore and using sharpened pencils at school as weapons.”
Clallam County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Sarah Woolman requested a $100,000 bail for Banks at his initial court appearance Thursday, describing the allegations as “incredibly concerning.”
“The state has significant safety concerns,” Woolman said.
Defense attorney John Black requested a reduced bail, saying his client had no criminal history and comes from a family of sportsmen and firearm enthusiasts.
“I just think $100,000 is excessive in this case,” Black said.
Clallam County Superior Court Judge Brian Coughenour followed the state’s recommendation, calling the requested bail amount “reasonable.”
The judge noted that an AR-15 was used in the recent school shooting in Parkland, Fla.
“There are threats against a particular individual,” Coughenour said.
“There are these crazy statements. There are handwritten items that were found that are extremely concerning to this court, and an understanding that he has access to firearms that include the same kind of firearm that was used in the Florida Parkland shooting.
“I think I would look pretty crazy if I didn’t set a real, fair bail in this matter,” he said.
Should Banks post bail, he would be required to surrender his firearms and have no contact with the alleged victim.
The Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office will consider filing a formal charge at Banks’ next court appearance at 1 p.m. Monday.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
