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    • Possible school shooting stopped in Kenosha; 13-year-old arrested
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    Possible school shooting stopped in Kenosha; 13-year-old arrested

    Pabio Posted on

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    Kenosha police arrested a 13-year-old boy armed with a gun in a bag after he tried to enter an elementary school but fled when approached by staff.

    The teen, a student at Mahone Middle School, arrived at Roosevelt Elementary School Thursday morning with what police initially described as “suspicious bags” and officers later arrested him, police said during a a press conference. Kenosha Police Chief Patrick Patton said the department received video of the student brandishing what appeared to be a gun earlier in the day.

    “We recognize that this incident could have resulted in tragedy,” Patton said. “Through the collaborative efforts of Kenosha Unified (school district) and several law enforcement agencies, we are pleased to report that this incident ended peacefully.”

    School officials said the student only reached the “secure entrance” of the school and did not enter the school. The suspect fled into the neighborhood after school officials approached him and began questioning him, Kenosha Superintendent Jeffrey Weiss said.

    Weiss said the staff was “heroic” and attributed the added protection to the school’s secure entrance. Weiss said the teen tried to break through other doors at the school, which are locked, before attempting to enter through the secure entrance.

    This entrance had two doors, the first giving access to the office and the second to the school itself, Weiss explained. The teenager entered through the first door, but not beyond. There, a school staff member approached the student and, at which point, he became “nervous and fled the building.”

    “They may not have known exactly what was happening, but their actions were heroic and avoided the unfathomable,” Weiss said of the staff.

    Kenosha police said they arrested the boy in the 6700 block of 30th Avenue. Authorities said there was no reason for the teen to enter the school.

    Patton said their investigation shows the suspect searched the Internet about school shootings and made comments toward other students in recent weeks. In the video, it appears the teen is practicing room entry skills, Patton said.

    The police chief said these are things the department should have known before Thursday. He called on the community and parents to report “red flags”.

    “This is something that should have been known. This is something that has been made known to people about its growing intentions. We know there are internet searches and all the red flags that we were looking for and waiting for someone to report were there,” Patton said. “We narrowly missed a tragedy today .”

    The student’s attempt to enter the school prompted the Kenosha Unified School District to place all of its schools in a secure location, meaning schools were operating as usual, but no one could enter or exit the building. The neighborhood announced around 2:40 p.m. that the security measure was lifted and that the exit from school would take place as usual.

    Patton said they also investigated a report of a shooter at Gateway Technical College, but that came from a report from someone who received an initial police report about the incident at the primary school and had misinterpreted it.

    The school district has placed all schools in a safe location based on guidance from the Kenosha Police Department, said Tanya Ruder, the school district’s communications manager.

    The district-wide detention occurred for safety reasons as the suspect was sought by police, said Lt. Joshua Hecker, the department’s public information officer. He said the department worked with the district, the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department and the Pleasant Prairie Police Department in the investigation.

    “We understand the massive response and fear in the community,” the chief said in sharing the video and police response. “We want to make sure you understand what prompted this response.”

    In a statement released earlier today, the Kenosha School District said the Sheriff’s Department and Pleasant Prairie Police were present at all schools in the county and assisting with patrols searching for the suspect.

    Frank Elementary School published on social networks about the incident shortly after noon and said it was canceling afternoon 4K classes and retaining all remaining 4K students.

    “We understand this may raise concerns, but we assure you this is being done for the safety of students, staff and families. KUSD is working closely with Kenosha Police Department to locate the suspect as quickly as possible,” the school said in its message.

    Jill Underly, the state’s superintendent of public instruction, released a statement Thursday evening.

    “I am very grateful to the Kenosha school staff for preventing a young person with a gun from entering the building,” she said. “Their quick actions protected students and ensured no one was harmed. The threat of violence in our schools is real and staff must prepare every day. Under the leadership of Superintendent Weiss, staff were well trained – he saved lives today I am so grateful for them.”

    Drake Bentley contributed to this report.

    David Clarey can be contacted at [email protected].

    This story has been updated to add new information.

    Pabio
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