Police ID Two Suspects In Tuesday Burnsville High Weapons Threat

BURNSVILLE, MN —Two suspects have been identified in connection with the school weapons threat that took place Tuesday at Burnsville High School, the Burnsville Police Department said on Friday.

The suspects are minors and have not been named, and police said the suspects have no direct relationship with BHS. According to police, the suspects said their report of a gun on school property was a prank.

The threat, which police now believe was a false claim, led to the school being put on lockdown for over three hours on Tuesday. Police conducted a comprehensive search of the building and did not find any weapons.

Burnsville police said the case will be referred to the appropriate prosecution office for the consideration of charges.

In a statement, Burnsville Police Chief Tanya Schwartz thanked parents, students and Burnsville High School staff for their "cooperation and understanding during a very stressful situation."

Schwartz also thanked Burnsville police teams, other law enforcement agencies and Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District 191 for their assistance on Tuesday.

"We take these types of threats very seriously. Our investigators were able to identify the suspects quickly, and we will continue to investigate this incident thoroughly. We want all students and staff to feel safe at their school," Schwartz said.

At approximately 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Burnsville High School went on lockdown after a report of a weapon at the school building.

At 12:12 p.m., the Burnsville Police Department confirmed that it was on the scene responding to the report of a weapon at the school. The department was joined by multiple other law enforcement agencies, including the Dakota County Sheriff's Office.

During the lockdown, police asked members of the community to stay away from the area, and parents who had come to check on their kids were asked to gather at the nearby Eden Baptist Church.

At about 1:20 p.m. BHS administrators sent out a letter informing parents and guardians that no weapons had been discovered, but that the school remained on lockdown while police continued their search of the entire facility.

Burnsville police confirmed in a 2:46 p.m. tweet that they had completed their search of the school.

Students were released from school around 3 p.m., though all after-school activities and athletics scheduled for Tuesday at BHS were canceled after the incident.