14-year-old Suspect Dead After Active Shooter Reported Outside Middle School

A 14-year-old suspect died after a confrontation with the police on Wednesday. The police were responding to a report of an active shooter outside a middle school in Wisconsin. According to sources, the teenager approached Mount Horeb Middle School carrying what looked like a long gun.

According to Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, the suspect was a male student in the Mount Horeb Area School District. Sources say that bomb technicians are searching a vehicle connected to the suspect for evidence.

According to Kaul, the Mount Horeb Police Department received a report about someone with a weapon near the middle school. The officers responded to the report and used deadly force. Kaul shared this information during a press briefing on Wednesday evening.

The school district said that the police were called to assist in assessing an active shooter situation at the school, and the threat was resolved outside the building. According to the report, there have been no injuries among students and staff.

“The person did not break into the entrance,” the district said on Facebook.

Kaul couldn’t confirm if the suspect fired any shots. He explained that he can’t share many details right now because of the ongoing investigation.

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The district has confirmed that all students and staff are safe after conducting an initial search of the middle school. No additional suspects have been found. Law enforcement is actively investigating the incident, but there is currently no believed ongoing threat to public safety, according to Kaul.

The investigation into the entire incident is being led by the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation, according to Kaul. According to standard practice, some Mount Horeb police officers are on leave due to a use-of-force incident.

The school district said that all school buildings went into lockdown at around 11:15 a.m. local time. School officials said that students had to stay inside while the police were investigating. They would only be allowed to leave once the police gave their approval. The district has recently begun to let some students go.

The Mount Horeb School District Superintendent, Steve Salerno, expects to make a decision soon about when students can fully return to school. The goal is to resume classes by Friday.

“During the press briefing on Wednesday, Salerno said that today’s story is about an incredible staff who have come together to support our wonderful children,”

He mentioned that taking proactive safety measures is important to prevent a worse outcome. This includes installing security enhancements like vestibules and locked front doors.

“According to Salerno, this tragedy could have been much worse,” The FBI was present at the location and helping state and local partners, as confirmed by an agency spokesperson to ABC News.

Officials from the village of Mount Horeb, which is around 20 miles southwest of Madison, said that the community experienced a very scary situation on Wednesday. They praised the quick and brave response of the school district and emergency personnel to the active shooter incident.

“Our schools took safety precautions to prevent the shooter from entering the building,” said Mount Horeb Village president Ryan Czyzewski and Mount Horeb Chamber Board chair Kara Brandemuehl in a joint statement. “The teamwork and communication between our community’s emergency personnel and School District showed the highest levels of professionalism and commitment.”

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers mentioned that he is keeping a close eye on the situation. “Every day, our children, teachers, and school staff go to school and hope that a day like this will never happen,” he said in a statement.

Evers expressed his complete support for the school community as they deal with what has undoubtedly been a frightening and distressing day for everyone involved.