Franklin High School lockdown; police checked for threats
FRANKLIN, Wis. - Franklin High School was placed on lockdown due to a threat involving a student on Monday, Nov. 20.
Franklin police responded to the scene around 7:30 a.m. after receiving a report of a "possible safety concern at the school."
The campus was searched by officers and the male student of interest was not located at the school.
Although the incident was cleared by police, some students said they still left school and went home to be safe rather than sorry.
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"I kept seeing the guns and all these rumors that this guy was missing," junior Liam Sullivan said. "Just a lot of stuff going through my head."
Sullivan and his classmates were in gym class when the school went on lockdown.
Franklin High School
"I could see that my teacher was a little nervous," he said. "He told us to grab some weights and sticks just in case and we barricaded the door and hid in the corner."
And that’s where they sat for about three hours.
A search of the school was conducted as a precautionary measure to safeguard the students and staff.
"I kept asking, ‘is this real? Is this real?’ He’s like, ‘yeah, yeah.’ But they always say it’s real," junior Adam Kopp said. "So then it’s like 45 minutes, and I was like, ‘oh this is actually real.’"
Police said no one was injured.
"My mom told me to leave school," Sullivan said. "She’d rather have me do that than be at school right now."
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When asked if they were still looking for the student in question, police said they had no further information.
"I had a couple underclassmen use my phone to text their parents and tell them they’re okay," junior Eddie Roepsch said. "It’s just an unfortunate situation."
Franklin Public Schools statement:
Dear Franklin Public Schools Families,
Thank you all for your grace and understanding today. First and foremost, we are very thankful that all our students and staff are safe. We appreciate the Franklin Police Department's swift response to inform us of a potential safety threat involving a high school student which led to Franklin High School being placed in a LOCKDOWN and our other schools placed in a SECURE.
Following the start of the high school day today, the administrative team was made aware from the Franklin Police Department of a potential threat involving a high school student. The school was placed on LOCKDOWN to allow the Franklin Police Department to conduct a full safety sweep of Franklin High School. During this time we were able to verify that the student was not present in the school or on school grounds.
Please see the attached Press Release from the Franklin Police Department. If you have reason to believe you know anything in relation to this situation, please contact the FPD.
We understand how difficult situations such as this can impact students, staff, and families. Below are additional available options for support:
- Aurora Student and Family Assistance Program 1.800.236.3231 (between 8:00 - 5:00, M-F)
This service is available to ALL students and members of their household within our district at no cost and offers up to (4) free one-hour sessions with a licensed counselor per issues on a variety of topics related to mental health.
Multiple locations including inside Franklin Public Schools
- Community and Crisis Resources
- Talking to Children about Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers from National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) guides caregivers as they reaffirm a sense of safety and wellbeing for youth.
We all play a role in the safety and security of our schools. We cannot say it enough. We need to have a school community where everyone who is concerned about someone, says something. If you see anyone or anything that seems suspicious, say something. You can always share concerns with a trusted adult, staff member, local law enforcement, or via our anonymous tip line: SpeakUp SpeakOut form online.
Sincerely,
FPS Communications