On February 2, 2026, at approximately 9:30pm, Coon Rapids Police were dispatched to the Chipotle on River Rapids Drive in Coon Rapids, Anoka County, on a report of a man with a gun. Store employees called 911 after three men entered the restaurant and spoke to two other people who were already seated, Defendant Zeeleseh Thomas Korti [DOB REDACTED] and his friend I. K. An argument broke out, and I. K. Threatened one of the men, who responded by slapping I. K. In the face. Defendant then exited the restaurant, went to his vehicle, and returned to the building brandishing a black firearm with an extended magazine.
Defendant began waving the gun around and ultimately pointed the gun at all three of the men he was arguing with. At this point, restaurant staff took cover out of fear for their own safety, and shortly thereafter, Defendant and I. K. Left the restaurant in Defendant's vehicle. A KOPS alert was issued and Defendant was apprehended the following morning. In the interim, store surveillance footage corroborated the report from the employees, and Defendant can be seen removing a handgun from his waistband shortly before leaving the restaurant.
Police obtained a search warrant for Defendant's residence in Ramsey, Anoka County. In a lower level bedroom closet, near a garbage can that contained trash from Chipotle, law enforcement found a pistol hidden under some clothing, along with a slide assembly for a pistol. The room contained many of Defendant's personal effects as well as personalized information such as mail, documents, and Defendant's school ID. In a Mirandized statement, Defendant denied brandishing the gun, and told a number of obvious lies about irrelevant details, such as claiming that he used a friend's hoverboard to get to and from Chipotle, that it was still light out at 9:30pm, and that only words were exchanged between the parties.
When confronted, Defendant stated that he wasn't lying, but that he was intentionally withholding some of the story from officers. Law enforcement then terminated the interview. Defendant does not have a permit to carry a firearm.
