Kenosha police arrest 13-year-old in attempted school shooting

KENOSHA, Wis. (WBAY) – Tips from the community led to the arrest of a 13-year-old Kenosha Unified School District student who entered a Roosevelt Elementary School Thursday morning carrying a backpack and a black duffel bag, WISN reported.

“We received numerous tips about the identity and location of the person depicted in the photo. Some of those tips guided our investigation and led to the arrest of a 13-year-old KUSD student. After verifying the suspect’s location, officers were able to successfully convince the suspect to surrender,” said Kenosha Police Chief Patrick Patton.

Officials said the teen is a Mahone Middle School student who previously attended Roosevelt.

“We can confirm that we have received at least one video showing the suspect who we believe is holding a firearm. We also have information that the suspect conducted multiple internet searches regarding school shootings prior to the incident,” Kenosha police said.

Around 9 a.m., a heavy police presence was reported at Roosevelt Elementary School in Kenosha after reports of a suspicious person on campus.

“So the suspect tried numerous exterior doors and entrances before coming to our secure entry,” said Kenosha Unified School District Superintendent Jeff Weiss.

School staff questioned the teen in the secure entrance. Surveillance cameras showed a large black bag next to him.

The suspect fled when approached by school staff, leading to a pre-emptive school arrest to prevent entry.

“I would like to thank our employees who acted quickly and contacted the police so they could do their part to apprehend the suspect. They may not have known what was happening at the exact moment, but their actions were heroic and prevented the unfathomable,” Weiss said.

After verifying the suspect’s location, officers successfully convinced the suspect to surrender. This arrest happened around 2 p.m. a few blocks from the school in the 6700 block of 30th Avenue, witnesses said.

Police said the investigation revealed the suspect shared videos and made various comments to fellow students for weeks leading up to Thursday.

“This is something that people have been told about his growth intentions. We know there is a search on the internet and all the red flags we would look for and expect someone to report were there. They’re getting to the point of saying we narrowly missed a tragedy today, and we’re going to encourage everyone again if they see something, say something, help us. Have those conversations with your kids. This video should not have been seen by us today. This should have been reported to us earlier.” Patton said.

Police say they continue to ask the public for more information about Thursday’s incident.

“We want to encourage parents to talk to their children and encourage them to share the videos and comments from fellow students. Parents and/or children are asked to report this information to the police immediately. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can report that information to Kenosha Crime Stoppers,” police said.

Police have not released the person’s identity or said how he obtained the gun. They did say the suspect’s mother is cooperating with police but was not taken into custody Thursday.

The school district had previously scheduled a day off for students on Friday, November 8, for a staff work day.

State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly released a statement Thursday evening. In it she says:

“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 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. I am so grateful to them.”