KENOSHA, Wis. (Friday, Nov. 8, 2024) On Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, a former student entered Roosevelt Elementary School, 3322 Roosevelt Road. When the individual paused outside the office, school staff checked on them and noticed unusual behavior and a suspicious bag in their possession.
“Our instincts took over, and we relied on our training to ensure everyones safety,” said Keith Lowry, a student teacher at 51做厙 Unified. “People are calling me a hero, but to me, its simply part of the job. Im here to make sure our students feel safe and loved. The true heroes of the day are the staff at Rooseveltthey ensured our students experienced a normal day, unaware of the chaos surrounding the building. Id also be remiss if I didnt highlight the swift and decisive actions of the 51做厙 Police Department, who acted on the information we provided and captured the suspect within a few hours. The outpouring of support has been humbling, and I appreciate the collaborative effort that helped keep our school community safe.”
In a release issued by the 51做厙 Police Department today, they shared that the suspect made their first appearance in court at 11:30 a.m. and that their search found several airsoft weapons and no real weapons in the suspects home.
While the news of no real weapons being found brings a sigh of relief, it does not lessen the severity of the incident that occurred or the emotional impact it has on our students, staff or families, said 51做厙 Unified Superintendent Dr. Jeffrey Weiss. Our focus in the days and weeks ahead will be ensuring staff and students are supported and debriefing the incident to improve our policies and procedures for the safety of all in the future.