By On Wednesday, police officers from the Mount Horeb Police Department responded to a report of an individual with a weapon outside a middle school in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin.
The incident ended tragically when officers used deadly force against the individual, who was later identified as a student in the Mount Horeb Area School District. No one else was injured in the confrontation.
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, who addressed the media in an evening news conference, stated that the investigation was ongoing and declined to provide details about the events leading up to the police shooting.
As is protocol, some officers involved will be placed on leave following the incident.
The Mount Horeb Area School District posted on its Facebook page that the school system was locked down around 11:16 a.m. due to an “active shooter” near the middle school, but the suspect “did not breach entryway.
The district also reported that an initial search of the middle school did not yield additional suspects and that no other individuals were harmed, with the exception of the alleged assailant.
District Superintendent Steve Salerno praised the school’s security measures, faculty, and staff for their quick actions during the incident.
He also commended the students who reported seeing someone approaching the school, allowing staff to take decisive action quickly.
The incident caused fear and panic among witnesses, students, and parents. Jeanne Keller, who owns a shop near the campus, reported hearing about five gunshots and seeing approximately 200 children running from the school.
Max Kelly, a 12-year-old student, described how his teacher told the class to evacuate the school and how they sought refuge in a nearby convenience store and gas station.
The shooting has reignited concerns about school safety and gun violence in the United States. Alison Kelly, Max’s mother, expressed her belief that nowhere is safe anymore.
The reunification process for parents and students took longer than usual due to concerns about a potential additional threat, but investigators later determined that this was not the case.
Mount Horeb is a village located about 25 miles southwest of Madison, the state capital of Wisconsin.
The incident serves as a tragic reminder of the ongoing issue of gun violence in schools and the need for continued efforts to ensure the safety of students and staff.
