Iowa fire cadet, 18, smiles in mugshot after arrest for arson ‘hit list’

An Iowa high school fire cadet smiled in her mugshot after an arrest for allegedly creating a “hit list” of classmates and teachers that she planned to harm in arson attacks, authorities said.

Kaelyn Alexis Surrell, 18, who flashed a huge smirk in her mugshot, was slapped with a slew of terrorism threat charges on Tuesday after the disturbing plot came to light, KCRG reported.

The teen is accused of listing off at least seven Sidney High School students and staff that she wanted to target in the “arson incidents,” according to a criminal complaint.

Surrell was allegedly planning to target those who had wronged her, or people she’d had negative interactions with. The high schooler had the “potential knowledge to carry out the act” because she was a fire cadet with the Shenandoah Fire Department, the complaint said.

Authorities were alerted to Surrell’s alleged plans after the teen sent the alleged “hit list” to someone on Snapchat, according to the complaint.  

“The defendant, Kaelyn Surrell did have a phone conversation with a reporting party advising she had a ‘hit list’ for individuals to cause arson incidents towards,” the complaint said, according to Law and Crime.

“The list included other students and employees that are enrolled in the Sidney Community School District. Other individuals included on the list are people she had bad encounters with where she has a motive to carry out harming them.”

Specific details of the alleged plots weren’t immediately clear.

Surrell was arrested and charged with seven felony counts of threats of terrorism. She was being held on a $5,000 bond.