Sources Confirm! 14-Year-Old Suspect Dead Following Reported Active Shooter at Middle School
DEBARYLIFE – After an active shooter was reported outside a middle school in Wisconsin on Wednesday, officers encountered a 14-year-old suspect who later died, sources said ABC News.
The teenager, according to the sources, had come toward Mount Horeb Middle School with what looked to be a long gun.
The suspect, according to Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, was a male student in the Mount Horeb Area School District. Analysts were told that bomb technicians were searching a car connected to the suspect for evidence.
Using deadly force, Mount Horeb Police Department officers reacted to a complaint of an “individual with a weapon outside the middle school,” according to Kaul, who announced during a press conference on Wednesday night.
The district said that after police helped “scope out” an active shooter at the school, the threat had been “neutralized” outside the structure. Staff members and pupils have not been reported injured, it stated.
The district posted on Facebook, stating that “the individual did not breach [the] entryway.”
Noting that he is constrained in what can be provided at this time due to the ongoing investigation, Kaul told reporters he was unable to clarify whether the suspect fired any bullets.
All kids and personnel at the middle school are safe, and no more suspects have been found after an initial investigation, according to the district. Although there is now no thought to be a concern for public safety, Kaul stated that law enforcement is still “vigorously investigating” the incident.
As per Kaul, the inquiry into the “whole incident” is being conducted by the Division of Criminal Inquiry of the Wisconsin Department of Justice. He claimed that in a use-of-force event, some Mount Horeb police officers are on leave as is customary.
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Around 11:15 a.m. local time, the district reported, all school district facilities were placed on lockdown. The police were conducting an investigation, and school authorities notified students that they would be dismissed pending their permission. Subsequently, the district has commenced releasing certain pupils.
According to Steve Salerno, superintendent of the Mount Horeb School District, a decision regarding the full return to school is anticipated shortly, to start classes by Friday.
“During the press briefing on Wednesday, Salerno stated that the story that has to be told is about our incredible staff who have come together to support our lovely children.”
He claimed that to avert a more serious situation, proactive safety steps were essential. These included the construction of security upgrades such vestibules and closed front doors.
Salerno stated, “This tragedy could have been much worse.”
A representative for the FBI told ABC News that the organization was present and supporting state and local authorities.
Village officials in Mount Horeb, which is roughly 20 miles southwest of Madison, described the situation as “horrifying” and praised the school district and emergency responders for their “swift and courageous” reaction to the active shooter incident on Wednesday.
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Mount Horeb Village president Ryan Czyzewski and Mount Horeb Chamber Board chair Kara Brandemuehl issued a joint statement saying, “The shooter was never able to enter the building due to safety precautions taken by our Schools.” “The collaboration and coordination between our community’s first responders and School District exemplified the highest standards of professionalism and dedication.”
The governor of Wisconsin, Tony Evers, stated that he is “closely monitoring” the circumstances.
“Every day, our kids, educators, and staff go to school and hope a day like this will never come,” he stated in a press release.
Evers declared that the school community has his whole support “as they grapple with what has undoubtedly been a scary and traumatic day for everyone involved.”