Kenosha Police: Armed teen tried to go to school, arrested

KENOSHA, Wis. – Kenosha Police say a 13-year-old boy who was armed and tried to enter Roosevelt Elementary School on Thursday morning, November 7, is now in custody. He was arrested just after 2 p.m

Officials say just after 9 a.m. Thursday, a suspected suspect walked into a secure area of ​​the school carrying a backpack. When approached by school staff, the man immediately fled the area – and all KUSD schools were evacuated to safety. Officials said this means business as usual is taking place inside schools, but no one can enter or exit buildings at this time.

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Kenosha police received numerous tips about the suspect’s presence in the area. Some of those tips led to the arrest of the 13-year-old KUSD student near 67th Street and 30th Avenue. Officers on the scene were able to convince the teen to surrender.

Video of teenager before school incident

Investigators say they have received at least one video showing the teenage suspect holding a firearm. They shared a portion of that video with the media — which officials said shows the teen “appearing to be practicing techniques to gain entry into the room.”

Officials said they have also confirmed information that the teen had conducted multiple internet searches related to school shootings prior to this incident.

“The only reason the individual was unable to fully enter the school was the quick and careful action of school personnel,” said Kenosha Police Chief Patrick Patton.

The chief said there was a report that another incident had occurred at Gateway. He confirmed that this was unfounded.

Teen tried to go to school several times

Chief Weiss indicated the teen attempted to enter Roosevelt several times – checking doors and entrances before coming to the secure entrance.

“I really want to emphasize that because those schools were already built when schools were built, like Roosevelt, they were built to get students out in case of a fire. They are not built for some of the challenges we face. face today,” Weiss said.

Kenosha Mayor David Bogdala said this was a frightening moment for many parents in the district.

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“What I take from this, and I hope everyone else does too, is that all the work and cooperation that goes into preparing for emergencies like this has worked,” the mayor said.

Response from parents

“I was very stressed,” parent Manny Murillo said. “A little worried, you know.”

“As a parent you don’t really think about that,” said parent Estevan Cruz. “You can never imagine it again once you get that message.”

“We are grateful”

“The safety work we did as a district today prevented further tragedies,” said Superintendent Weiss. “Our staff and students, along with law enforcement partners, regularly assess, plan and rehearse incidents like the one we encountered at Roosevelt this morning. We do not take this lightly,” said KUSD Superintendent Jeff Weiss. “We are grateful for the secure entrance to Roosevelt Elementary School that allowed easy access to the building and our students and staff. We are grateful for our employees who bravely stop the individual and ask questions that cause the individual to question their choices and flee. We are grateful to multiple law enforcement agencies that have surrounded our schools, not only in Kenosha Unified, but across the county. We are grateful for our staff who continue to work with our children, your children and our students throughout the day to ensure as much normality as possible, despite their own fears they may face. We are grateful for our families who trusted us to work with law enforcement to protect their children.”

State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly released the following statement:

“I am so grateful to the school staff in Kenosha who prevented a young person from entering the building with a firearm. Their quick actions protected the students and ensured no one was injured. The threat of violence in our schools is real and staff must prepare every day. Under the leadership of Superintendent Weiss, the staff was well trained – they saved lives today.