KENOSHA, Wis. (WFRV) – Officers have released additional information about the incident that happened at a southeastern Wisconsin elementary school on Thursday morning, specifying that the guns were air soft replicas.
A Facebook post from the Kenosha Police Department states that the 13-year-old Kenosha teenager who showed up at Roosevelt Elementary with a black duffle bag and backpack has been charged with one count of Terroristic Threats.
During the search of the suspect’s home shortly before 3 p.m. on November 7, the same day as the incident, detectives reportedly found several air soft replica handguns and a replica rifle. During an interview with the teenager, he claimed to have gone to the school to sell candy. However, he allegedly later told a social worker that he went to the school with the “intent to scare students.”
It was noted in the release that no real firearms were found during the search and the suspects mother is cooperating with the investigation, and the rumors online of her arrest are not valid.
The 13-year-old was arrested at his home after he surrendered. He is scheduled to make an initial appearance in court on November 8 at 11:30 a.m.
A full statement from Kenosha PD can be read below:
Yesterday’s response was driven by the information we gathered throughout the initial investigation. The Kenosha Police Department had reason to believe the suspect had access to some type of firearm based on videos on social media and other witness information. The actions on scene were extremely suspicious and the internet activity by the suspect suggested they had extensive research history related to previous school shootings, information on how to execute a school shooting, and specifics about the targeted building. These are all concerns that resulted in our decision to safeguard all schools within the entire county until we could confirmed that there was no further threat. Incidents like these remind us that our community is not exempt. We need to remain vigilant and be willing to say something if we see something… While yesterday’s incident did not result in unimaginable tragedy, it still had a powerful effect on many of us. We now know that the suspect’s intentions were displayed and shared with others well before the event unfolded and if reported earlier, we may have been able to intervene and provide resources that would have allowed us to avoid such an impactful incident in our community. As we try to process everything, we are encouraging everyone to have conversations with their children and talk about the importance of reporting suspicious activity.
Kenosha Police Department
Information on the Department of Homeland Security’s “See Something, Say Something” campaign can be found here.
Anyone with additional information is asked to contact Detective Tim Cepress at (262) 605-5261.