The 13-year-old arrested after what Kenosha police describe as a school shooting threat will appear in court Friday at 11:30 a.m. He's been charged with making terroristic threats.
Kenosha Unified School District leaders say the teen tried to enter Roosevelt Elementary School around 9:00 on Thursday morning, carrying "suspicious bags." When school staff tried to speak with him, he ran out of the building and into the surrounding neighborhood.
Previous Coverage: 'Potential school shooting' stopped in Kenosha; 13-year-old arrested after trying to enter school
Area schools were put on a secure hold while police conducted their search.
Detectives say they executed a search warrant at the suspect's home at about 3:00 on Thursday afternoon where they found several airsoft replica handguns and a replica rifle. No real firearms were found during the search.
Police say the teen's mother was cooperative during the search and investigation, and told officers that her son does not have access to guns. Those officers wanted to clarify that the suspect's mother was not arrested as part of the investigation.
According to police, the suspect claimed he went to the school to sell candy, but later told a social worker he had gone to the school to scare students.
The situation left parents worried for the safety of their children. Dozens waited outside Roosevelt Elementary on Thursday afternoon. Other parents who spoke with TMJ4 say they're grateful their kids were not harmed but are now fearful of what should be a safe space.
Watch: No real firearms found in home of suspect accused in school shooting threat.
In a press release, the Kenosha Police Department said, "Incidents like these remind us that our community is not exempt. We need to remain vigilant and be willing to say something if we see something."
The statement went on to say, "While yesterday’s incident did not result in unimaginable tragedy, it still had a powerful effect on many of us. As we try to process everything, we are encouraging everyone to have conversations with their children and talk about the importance of reporting suspicious activity."
KPD encourages families to check out the See Something, Say Something website for resources on how to have those conversations.
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