SOUTH MILWAUKEE — Police report there is no credible threat after a 15-year-old from South Milwaukee High School created a hit list with students' names.
The teen was taken into custody Thursday for disorderly conduct.
"We are contacting the students that are on the list, but we believe that there is no plan. No weapons were found to do anyone harm. We take all incidents like this seriously," said Jeffrey Weiss, South Milwaukee Schools Superintendent.
Weiss said another student alerted staff to the list. The school was not placed on lockdown and classes went on.
"It’s upsetting. It makes you worry. You kind of panic a little it’s very heart-wrenching," said Rebecca Dam, who has two kids at the high school.
"When you hear that there’s a list you wonder is my kid on that list, and that’s scary that scary for any parent," said Amber Mason.
Mason has a son and niece at the attached middle school and a nephew at the high school. She said her nephew's name was on the list, panicking his mother.
Makayla Franke is a freshman at South Milwaukee High School. She was at home sick when a friend texted her this morning.
"I don't think that's something to joke about for anybody to say or do because it scared a lot of people. I wasn’t even at school and I was scared for my friends at school," Franke said.
Multiple families say they first heard about what happened from other parents and students.
The district sent an email to parents, but many parents say they got it too late and the district should have acted sooner. They added this is not the first time communication with the district was an issue.
"I know they don’t want them to panic but we should be aware. It shouldn’t be hours later," said Dam.
"When I opened it I was like are you kidding me? I was sleeping they could’ve at least had called because I would’ve answered a phone call. I don’t always answer email or open my emails," said Carolina Ramos, a mother with two kids at the high school.
"Our plan was and is to notify everyone simultaneously. If there was a problem in our systems that we use to do that I do apologize to our families," said Weiss.
Weiss added they would review any issues with notification. He urged parents to talk with their kids about the seriousness of school threats, saying students are subject to discipline up to expulsion and arrest by the South Milwaukee Police.
