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Roosevelt Elementary School, Kenosha

KENOSHA, Wis. – The Kenosha Unified School District released a statement to the community on Monday, Nov. 11, addressing the school threat incident at Roosevelt Elementary School.

The district said it “recognizes the concerns of families and staff and wants to reassure the community that the safety of students and staff has always been and will remain a top priority.”

It also encourages students who need help processing the incident to contact their school counselor.

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The district is also conducting a comprehensive review of its safety procedures and protocols to identify potential areas for improvement.

You can read the full statement below:

The district also noted that prior to the incident, administrators received concerns about images of airsoft guns.

It said these images “did not include threats or other relevant content and these concerns have been thoroughly investigated. If threats had been made, the administration would have notified law enforcement in accordance with the district’s standard threat assessment process. It is important to note that owning airsoft guns is not illegal. In the past incidents, no district rules or laws were violated, such as possession of similar weapons on district property or threats of bodily harm.

The district urges families to emphasize the importance of “see something, say something” with their children.

Initial incident

Kenosha police say a teenager arrested after trying to enter Roosevelt Elementary School on Thursday, Nov. 7, had the “intent to scare the students.” That’s what officials say the boy told a social worker after his arrest.

The 13-year-old boy appeared in Kenosha court Friday morning, Nov. 8. That hearing was closed to the media. Kenosha police said Friday they found several “replica toy” guns and a rifle in the boy’s home.

“The big Army-looking truck with the ram in the front pulled up in front of these houses and blocked the intersection and 30th and Roosevelt here,” said Jennifer Ruffin, who works near the scene of the arrest.

Kenosha Police say when they searched the home they found several Airsoft pistols and a replica Airsoft rifle. While toys, the concern was real.

“The investigation revealed that the suspect shared videos and made several comments to fellow students for several weeks leading up to today,” said Kenosha Police Chief Patrick Patton.

On Friday, Kenosha police said the 13-year-old boy was in court for a hearing on one count of making terroristic threats. The news media was barred from the hearing — and it’s unclear what happened.

The boy’s family did not speak to reporters after the hearing.

Teenager stopped by the teacher

Less than 24 hours earlier, Kenosha police said the boy tried to enter Roosevelt Elementary School wearing backpacks and dressed in black. When school staff questioned the boy, he ran into the neighborhood.

“Our instincts took over and we relied on our training to keep everyone safe,” said Kenosha Unified student teacher Keith Lowry. “People call me a hero, but for me, it’s just part of the job. I am here to make sure our students feel safe and loved. The real heroes of the day are the staff at Roosevelt – they ensured that our students experienced a normal day, unaware of the chaos surrounding the building, I would also be remiss if I did not highlight the swift and decisive actions of the Department of Kenosha Police who acted on the information we provided and apprehended the suspect within hours. The outpouring of support has been humbling and I appreciate the collaborative effort that has helped keep our school community safe.”

“The staff did an excellent job of keeping the situation from them as much as possible. So I’m grateful for that. And I’m grateful that the police are here – it makes all the parents feel safe and welcome,” he said Manny Murillo, a Roosevelt Elementary parent.

The entire Kenosha school went into a “secure hold” while law enforcement searched the entire community.

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The tips led to the arrest

Police say more tips and videos have come in. That led to the arrest of the 13-year-old at a home not far from the school near 30th and Roosevelt.

Police say the boy searched the Internet several times to find school shootings. In an interview, police said the boy said he went to the school to sell candy, but later told a social worker that he went to the school with the intention of scaring the students.

It is unclear when the boy will be back in court again.