Clear Primary school staff have been praised for ‘heroically’ stopping potential shootings

• Police said they arrested a 13-year-old student after he allegedly tried to enter Roosevelt Elementary School with two “suspicious bags.”
• The teen was allegedly captured on video “practicing rudimentary techniques” with an illegal firearm and conducting searches related to school shootings, police said.
• While police investigated and searched for the suspect, all KUSD schools were placed on lockdown

Staff at a Wisconsin elementary school are being praised for their efforts to keep students safe after preventing an allegedly “suspicious” teen from attending an elementary school.

Kenosha Police Department Chief Patrick Patton shared this during a press conference that the 13-year-old suspect “was intercepted by school personnel” when he allegedly attempted to enter Roosevelt Elementary School on Thursday morning, November 7, before fleeing on foot.

A photo of the teenage suspect Shared by police, the boy, wearing a black hoodie with a black hat, was allowed into the school carrying what police described as two “suspicious bags,” including a large backpack and what appeared to be another large duffel bag.

“We can confirm that we have received at least one video of the suspect holding an illegal firearm,” Patton said at the press conference, later adding: “The video shows the suspect walking with what we believe is a rifle , while practicing rudimentary exercises. techniques.”

“We also have information that the suspect conducted multiple internet searches regarding school shootings prior to the incident,” he added.

Patton said that thanks to the “tips” police received from the community, they were able to locate and arrest the suspect, who police said was a student within the Kenosha Unified School District (KUSD) system, a few blocks away from the school . Police confirmed the arrest in a update on social media around 2:20 p.m

“We know there were internet searches, and all the red flags that we would look for and expect someone to report were there,” Patton said.

“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 children,” he added.

Roosevelt Elementary School and the rest of KUSD schools were placed on lockdown while police investigated the incident, Kenosha police said.

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KUSD Superintendent Jeff Weiss shared CNN and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel the teen used one of the school’s side entrances to get to a “secure entrance,” where school staff approached and questioned him. The boy then appeared to become “nervous” before fleeing the building into the neighborhood, Weiss claimed.

“They didn’t know exactly at the time what was happening, but their actions were heroic and prevented the unfathomable,” said Weiss, who called the incident a “potential school shooting.”

Also Dr. Jill Underly, Wisconsin State Superintendent shared a statementand said she was “so grateful” to “school staff in Kenosha” for “preventing a young person from entering the school with a firearm.”

“Their quick actions protected students and ensured no one was injured,” she continued. “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.”