MONTEVIDEO – Montevideo High School went into lockdown for about an hour Wednesday morning after a student appeared to threaten a classroom full of his peers.
The student, in the process of transferring schools, had an excused absence for the day, according to Montevideo School Resource Officer Sean Stevens. The student’s classmates were surprised when the student poked his head into their classroom around 11 a.m.
“This is what is reported to me from some students,” Stevens said. “He said he needed to say goodbye, and then used his two hands as kind of like a handgun shooting motion.”
The student then left the campus, but officers were unable to immediately verify his location. His classmates believed he may have been serious, so they passed the information onto Stevens.
“We wanted to get his side of the story, too, what his recollection was,” Stevens said.
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The school was placed under lockdown as a precautionary measure, according to Montevideo Superintendent Luther Heller.
“At no time was there any imminent danger to our students,” Heller said. “We wanted to be on the side of caution just to make sure.”
Classes went on as usual during the lockdown, but exterior doors were secured.
Once police contacted the student and verified that he was home with a guardian, the lockdown was lifted, Stevens said. The student told police that he had been back on campus picking up some items from his locker. He said he had meant to say goodbye because he was transferring schools, not as a threat.
Typically, students are required to check in at the school office before walking through the building. This student did not.
It has not been determined whether the student will face any charges for the incident. The police report will likely be sent to the Chippewa County Attorney’s Office for review, as is typical procedure, Stevens said.
Montevideo schools were last spurred into lockdown in April after a telephone call threatening violence turned out to be a scam to extort money.
