MOUNT HOREB, WI – A student outside Mount Horeb Middle School was killed by police on Wednesday after they were dispatched in response to a report of a person carrying a gun. Wisconsin’s Attorney General Josh Kaul confirmed the death during an evening press briefing, withholding further details attached to the incident due to an ongoing investigation.
Mount Horeb police officers, reacting to the report of a potentially armed person near the middle school, were obliged to resort to fatal force, Kaul stated. The individual, now identified as a student from the Mount Horeb Area School District, succumbed to the injuries.
Some officers involved will be put on temporary leave as part of the ensuing procedural obligations. The school district had moved swiftly to impose a lockdown around 11:16 in the morning, even characterizing the scenario as an “active shooter” situation. However, the initial sweep of the school assured the authorities that no additional threats or suspects were present on the campus.
The process of reuniting parents with their children was initially delayed as officials were apprehensive about a possible secondary threat following the fatal incident. This prospect was eventually ruled out as investigators were reassured of the status of the solitary threat.
According to District Superintendent Steve Salerno, several preventive security measures at the middle school helped keep the crisis from escalating further. Speaking at the press briefing, Salerno saluted the school personnel’s courage under fire and the swift decision-making by students who notified the staff about the approaching suspicious person.
Today’s incident has understandably caused a surge in concern and unease among the students, parents, and locals in Mount Horeb, a village located just 25 miles off Madison, Wisconsin’s state capital. Efforts to restore a sense of safety and normalcy are currently underway, spearheaded by the school administration and local law enforcement.