Teen who reportedly brought firearm to Kenosha elementary charged with making terroristic threat
A Kenosha teenager has been charged with making terroristic threats after reportedly attempting to enter a local elemental school while armed.
Kenosha Police said a 13-year-old Kenosha resident and Kenosha Unified School District student, was arrested at his home after he surrendered Thursday afternoon. There were no reported injuries resulting from the incident.
The teen, whose identity has not been released, has been charged with one count of terroristic threats. His initial appearance was held Friday morning in the Kenosha County Courthouse.
His next hearing was set for 3 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13, at the Kenosha County Courthouse.
The charge was filed in connection with an incident which started at 9:02 a.m. Thursday, when the KPD said someone had attempted to enter Roosevelt Elementary, 3322 Roosevelt Road, through a secure area. The individual was reportedly carrying a backpack and a duffel bag when stopped and questioned by school staff in the building's secured entryway, then fled the building into the neighborhood.
A "secure hold" lockdown of all Kenosha Unified schools was put into place for the rest of the day. The Kenosha County Sheriff's Department and Pleasant Prairie Police stationed squads at all KUSD schools, including in Somers and Pleasant Prairie, and squads patrolled during the search. Gateway Technical Collge also ordered a secure in place order on its Kenosha campus before eventually closing for the day.
The KDP indicated the teen intercepted in the 6700 block of 30th Avenue around 2:05 p.m. Thursday during a community wide search Thursday.
The Kenosha Police Department indicated its detectives executed a search warrant at the teen's home at 2:54 p.m. Thursday, where they found several air soft replica handguns and a replica rifle. No real firearms were located during the search.
The KPD indicated the teen's mother was cooperative during the course of the investigation and advised that the teen does not have access to firearms.
"Rumors began to circle yesterday that the suspect's mother was arrested. We want to clarify that no other arrests were made in connection to this investigation," KPD Public Information Officer Lt. Josh Hecker said.
The KPD said detectives interviewed the teen who initially claimed to have gone to the school to sell candy. He later told a social worker he went to the school with the intent to scare students, the KPD stated.
"Incidents like these remind us that our community is not exempt. We need to remain vigilant and be willing to say something if we see something," stated Kenosha Police Chief Patrick Patton."The KPD, Kenosha Unified, the Kenosha County Sheriff's Department, Kenosha Fire Department, Pleasant Prairie Police Department, and many other local stakeholders have invested many years of training and table top discussions to prepare for incidents like we saw yesterday.
"While yesterday's incident did not result in unimaginable tragedy, it still had a powerful effect on many of us. As we try to process everything, we are encouraging everyone to have conversations with their children and talk about the importance of reporting suspicious activity," Patton said.
The department encouraged parents to visit the US Department of Homeland Security "See Something, Say Something website, which provides a number of resources at www.dhs.gov/see-something-say-something .
Kenosha Unified Superintendent Jeff Weiss said Thursday the school staff was "heroic" and credited the secure entrance to the school for the added protection. hEs said the teenager attempted to enter other doors on the school, which are locked, before attempting to enter through the secure entrance.
That entrance had two doors, with the first giving access to the office, and a second to the school itself, Weiss said. The teenager entered the first door, but not beyond that. There, a school staff member approached the student, and, at that point, he became "nervous and fled the building."
"They may not have known in the exact moment what was happening, but their actions were heroic and prevented the unfathomable," Weiss said of staff.
Wisconsin State Superintendent Jill Underly issued a statement formally thanking Kenosha Unified staff for their response in the incident.
"I am so thankful for school staff in Kenosha for preventing a young person with a firearm from entering the building. Their quick actions protected students and ensured nobody was hurt," she said. "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 – they saved lives today. I am so grateful for them."
The KPD said the incident investigation is still ongoing. Anyone with information regarding the Roosevelt School threat can contact Detective Tim Cepress at 262-605-5261.
