"It's such a disruption:" 14-year-old apprehended following threat at Yorkville school
UNION GROVE -- Students were evacuated from Yorkville Elementary School in Union Grove Tuesday, October 6th after a bomb and weapons threat was found in a restroom. A 14-year-old student has been apprehended in connection with the threat -- and he is cooperating with the investigation.
The Racine County Sheriff’s Office responded to Yorkville Elementary School in the Town of Yorkville around 8:40 a.m. regarding information the school staff received about a threat at the school. Authorities say a handwritten note referencing a gun and bomb were found in a bathroom at the school.
"When I heard that being dispatched today, I thought in the back of my head, this is probably, and I was hoping and praying this was just another prank, but you just never know," said Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling.
"I read the content of the note and knew that we had a situation we had to respond to," said Yorkville School Administrator Dave Alexander.
Yorkville Elementary School
After the threat was discovered, the students and staff were transported by buses to Union Grove Elementary School. Parents were notified and arrangements were made for them to pick up their children.
"That's the most disappointing part of all of this. It's such a disruption to our school day, disruption to law enforcement," said Alexander.
Yorkville Elementary School
Kenosha County and Milwaukee County bomb squads responded and assisted with an extensive search of the school and its grounds. No bombs or weapons were located.
The Racine County Sheriff's RASO Investigative Team worked quickly to develop a suspect, which resulted in a 14-year-old student of Yorkville Elementary School being apprehended and transported to Racine County Juvenile Detention.
A preliminary investigation has revealed this act may have been a prank by the 14-year-old -- and there is no immediate threat to any staff or other students. Sheriff's officials say this appears to be an isolated incident and does not affect any other area schools.
Pewaukee High School
This is the third school threat in southeast Wisconsin since last Thursday, October 1st. A threat caused Pewaukee High School to close on Friday -- and reschedule the homecoming football game. On Monday, students had to leave John Long Middle School in Grafton after a student found a message in the bathroom reading, "This school will explode." In all three cases, officials eventually cleared the school.
Threat at John Long Middle School
Sheriff Schmaling says these incidents are far from harmless.
"I cannot even begin to tell you how many of my squads traveled at high rates of speed with lights and sirens, risking their lives and the lives of the community to respond to that school because they responded to what they thought was a very serious call," said Schmaling.
In addition to any legal consequences the student will face, the district administrator says the school will hand down its own punishment too.
Yorkville Elementary School is expected to reopen Wednesday, October 7th for normal school activities.