According to sources, a 14-year-old suspect was killed by police on Wednesday after a report of an active shooter outside a middle school in Wisconsin.
According to authorities, the teen approached Mount Horeb Middle School armed with what seemed to be a long gun.
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Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said the suspect was a male student from the Mount Horeb Area School District. Authorities reported that bomb technicians were searching a vehicle associated with the suspect for evidence.
Officers from the Mount Horeb Police Department responded to a report of an “individual with a weapon outside the middle school” and utilized lethal force, Kaul said during a press conference Wednesday evening.
Police arrived to help “scope out” an active shooter at the school, according to the school system, and they “neutralized” the threat outside the facility. There have been no reports of student or staff injuries, according to the statement.
“The individual did not breach [the] entryway,” the district wrote on Facebook.
Kaul was unable to confirm whether the suspect fired any shots, telling reporters that he is limited in what information he can disclose due to the ongoing investigation.
The district reported that after an initial check of the middle school, they identified no other suspects and found all children and staff safe. Law enforcement is still “vigorously investigating” the event, but there is no current concern for public safety, according to Kaul.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Inquiry is in charge of the inquiry into the “entire incident,” Kaul stated. According to him, certain Mount Horeb police officers are on leave as is customary following a use-of-force incident.
The district reported that they placed all school buildings on lockdown around 11:15 a.m. local time. School officials directed students to stay indoors during the police investigation and face dismissal while they await their approval. Since then, the district has released some students.
According to Mount Horeb School District Superintendent Steve Salerno, a decision on the full return to school is likely soon, with the intention of resuming classes by Friday.
“If there’s a story to tell today, it’s a story of an amazing staff who have rallied in support of our beautiful children,” Salerno said during the news briefing on Wednesday.
He stated that proactive safety measures, such as the installation of security features like vestibules and closed front doors, were critical to avoiding a worse outcome.
“This could have been a far worse tragedy,” Salerno stated.
An FBI spokeswoman told ABC News that the agency was on scene and assisting state and local partners.
Mount Horeb officials, situated about 20 miles southwest of Madison, said the community experienced a “horrifying situation” Wednesday and praised the school district and emergency responders for their “swift and courageous” reaction to the active shooter incident.
“The shooter was never able to enter the building because of our schools’ safety precautions,” Mount Horeb Village president Ryan Czyzewski and Mount Horeb Chamber Board chair Kara Brandemuehl stated in a joint statement. “The collaboration and coordination between our community’s first responders and the school district exemplified the highest standards of professionalism and dedication.”
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers stated that he is “closely monitoring” the situation.
“Every day, our kids, educators, and staff go to school and hope a day like this will never come,” he added in a written statement.
Evers stated that he has extended his complete support to the school community “as they grapple with what has undoubtedly been a scary and traumatic day for everyone involved.”
