Latest School Shooting Threat Was Bullied 15-Year-Old: Report

RACINE COUNTY, WI — In the days and weeks following the horrific school shooting in Parkland, Florida that left 17 people dead, police have been handling increased cases for threats to area schools, leading to several arrests.

In the area's most recent threat, authorities in Racine County are reporting that a student who was bullied at Union Grove High School was arrested Monday for making threats to shoot up the school.

On Feb. 26, the Racine County Sheriff’s Office received a call from Union Grove High School reporting that a student who had thoughts of, "shooting up the school." According to sheriff's officials, this information was conveyed to other students.

Reports stated that the student suspected of being bullied was the one that made the threatening statements.

The Racine County Sheriff’s Office Investigative Bureau responded, and worked with Union Grove High School Superintendent Al Mollerskov to learn which student made the statement. The suspect was quickly identified as a 15-year-old boy at Union Grove High School. He was taken into custody at Union Grove High School, and did not have possession of any firearms at that time. Authorities said he was arrested on suspicion of Making Terroristic Threats and Disorderly Conduct. He was turned over to the Juvenile Detention Center and is being held in custody.

Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling said in a prepared statement, “As you can imagine, we take these situations very seriously. We are not taking any chances when it comes to the safety and security of the schools, children, and faculty in Racine County.”

Threats Spreading Across Area

Police departments in several Wisconsin communities are increasing their presence at area schools following a rash of reported threats in their local school districts earlier this month. According to multiple reports, schools in Oak Creek, Whitefish Bay, Kaukauna, Madison and Stevens Point all reported threats that were investigated by local districts and officers.

In addition, authorities arrested two men who reportedly brought loaded assault rifles onto school grounds at Homestead High School last week. On Feb. 1, authorities in Kenosha closed Indian Trail High School after a Snapchat threat was reported in which the poster threatened to commit a school shooting.

Whitefish Bay

The Whitefish Bay Police Department kept an officer at the Whitefish Bay Middle School after the school district and police department investigated a Snapchat post from Thursday from a student stating he was going to commit violence at the school.

Whitefish Bay police are reporting that they viewed the saved digital files on the phone of the student who was accused to have made a threat to shoot up the Middle School. These files were identified based on the times provided by the reporting student, police said.

Police said that their investigation revealed that there was no mention of going to any school to do any shooting at all. The video and audio files were legible at times and illegible at other times as the student was walking and talking and singing into his phone.

According to police reports made available to the public later Thursday, one student thought they watched a SnapChat post by a student who threatened to shoot up a school. The student reportedly saw this happen after a class at the Middle School where a teacher was emphasising the need to report any type of school violence threat.

Police said another student also thought they had watched a similar video. One of these students told their Mother. This Mother later in the evening sent an email to the Middle School Principal telling him of what her daughter had told her. He immediately notified Police Thursday, prompting the investigation.
The parent of the student and the child who was accused of having made the threat were extremely cooperative with the investigation, police said, and no crime or ordinance violation was committed by this student.

Oak Creek

Oak Creek police have had their hands full in dealing with three reported threats to schools within the last week at area middle schools.

On Wednesday, Feb. 21, the Oak Creek-Franklin School District made the Oak Creek Police Department aware of a student who made threatening remarks to cause harm to those at the Oak Creek West Middle School. No actions were taken by the student, and the student was taken into custody without any incident taking place.

According to police, once this student was arrested, they were questioned by police and evaluated. Police say they are preparing charges for review at the Milwaukee County Children's Court in regards to this incident, and will work with the School District in regard to this incident as any new information is brought forward.
Police say there is no longer a threat to the safety and wellbeing of the students in the Oak Creek-Franklin School District schools.

Feb 19:

Oak Creek police responded to another Oak Creek school just before 4 p.m. on Feb. 19 on a report of disorderly conduct.

According to police reports, a security officer at the school reported receiving a message from a woman who said that a student was going to "shoot up the school."

Police investigated the reported threat, and learned that a threatening phone call was made and that the phone call had a Florida area code. The Oak Creek police officer called the suspicious number several times, and was hung up on, or the call went into voicemail.

According to reports, an officer spoke with a student with knowledge of this incident at the school, who said he was playing a video game with his friend, and the other player got mad at him during the course of the game. Reports stated this other player retaliated by saying he was going to call his school and make threats.
Reports stated the Oak Creek student called the Florida student's middle school to report the Florida student's false accusations.

Feb. 15

Police in Oak Creek are reporting that they arrested an Oak Creek-Franklin student Thursday morning after a student reportedly made threatening remarks to cause harm to fellow students at Oak Creek East Middle School.

According to police reports, a student made statements that he would shoot and kill people at the school, intimating that he was going to get an assault rifle and handguns and shoot people's heads off. In addition, police noted that the student said that if he shot the student resource officer first, she wouldn't be able to protect other students from harm.

When police responded to the school, and then made contact with the student, he admitted to making threatening statements, and was transported to the Milwaukee County Mental Health facility, and would receive a referral to Children's Court for making threats in school.

According to police, one the student was arrested, they were interviewed and evaluated. The student is reportedly going to be facing criminal charges related to the incident after the department forwards charging recommendations to the Milwaukee County Children's Court.

Oak Creek police state that there is no current threat to the safety and well-being of the students in the district.

Fitchburg
A 14-year-old Fitchburg boy was arrested Friday in connection with an apparent threat.

According to a Wisconsin State Journal report, police said the boy called someone in Juneau County and said he was going to "shoot up a school." When police investigated, they learned that the call was made at about 6:45 p.m. Thursday in Juneau County.

According to reports, police went to the boy's home and took him into custody on suspicion of making a terroristic threat.

Kaukauna

The Kaukauna School District sent a letter home to parents after school Thursday after investigators learned that a River View Middle School student made threats of violence against the student body.

Minocqua

School district officials are reporting that extracurricular activities are canceled until Tuesday after a reported threat in Minocqua at the local high school.

According to police reports, an underage student was taken into custody in Minocqua on Friday after Lakeland School teachers found two incidents of threatening graffiti in the women's restroom on the east side of the school theatre on Thursday. In addition to the graffiti, officials in the Minocqua School District also learned of a SnapChat photograph was being distributed on social media, which also threatened the safety of Lakeland School. Law enforcement continues to investigate this incident as well.

On Friday, Feb. 16, there was an increased law enforcement presence at school to ensure the safety of the students, faculty and staff on campus. Due to the seriousness of the offense and the ongoing investigation, the Polar Daze Assembly on Friday afternoon was cancelled. In addition, with the ongoing investigation, the Polar Daze Dance on Saturday, February 17, 2018 was also cancelled.

Fennimore

Police in Fennimore searched and swept the district's high school, middle school and bus fleet Friday morning after a reported message indicated a bomb threat.

According to police reports, on Friday, Feb. 16, school district officials became aware of a message that was written on the wall of the High School's boys bathroom, stating that there will be a bomb in the school on Feb. 20.

According to Fennimore police, the information they received indicated the message had been written weeks earlier, but was removed from the bathroom wall by an unknown person.

According to reports, Fennimore police have been working with local officials on an investigation, and do not believe the grafiti amounted to a credible threat.

Police will be conducting a similar search and sweep prior to students arriving on Feb. 20.

Stevens Point

Police in Stevens Point are providing extra security at P.J. Jacobs Junior High School following an incident Wednesday night. According to the Post-Crescent, a parent heard a student discussing a potential threat that could happen at the school. According to the report, school officials notified parents of the situation and increased police presence at the school.

Madison
Police are increasing their presence at Madison East and LaFollette High Schools Friday morning following the discovery of a SnapChat threat overnight. According to school officials, the district found the source of the threat, and determined that it was not credible.

The following is a statement issued by the Madison Metropolitian School District:

"I'm writing to let you know that last night, Madison Police shared a concern with administration at East and La Follette. An unidentified student had posted a statement on Snapchat that suggested a vague threat of violence between the two schools. Because we take every possible threat very seriously, East and La Follette administration worked closely with MPD throughout the night to trace the message back to the original poster on snapchat. Following several interviews, the officers investigating the concern found the source of the message and no credible threat.

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