17-year-old with rifle arrested near Waukesha North High School
WAUKESHA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A 17-year-old boy was arrested Friday afternoon, April 14, after police say he was seen with a rifle in a backyard near Waukesha North High School.
The high school went into a modified lockdown after students reported seeing the teen with the gun.
He peacefully surrendered to police.
This is a photo of the rifle recovered at the scene:
Students first saw the 17-year-old with a rifle in the backyard of a house that butts up to the high school grounds.
Students notified the school resource officer and then North High School went into a SECURE status. Waukesha Police said SECURE status means the learning environment continues, but all doors are locked and no one is allowed outside.
Radio dispatch reported: "The suspect was described as male, Black. Possibly a grayish-type t-shirt, black pants. He had what they described almost looked like a pillowcase over his head with two eyes cut out. He was carrying a rifle-type weapon."
Noah Smith, a Waukesha North student, said, "We came back from lunch, there was a teacher over by the door over there, and we weren't sure what was going on. We heard over the loudspeaker there was a classroom hold, and that doesn't usually happen during a passing period. So we were really confused. But she was rushing us in, she said 'you guys gotta go!' So we started running."
Another student, Chris Jara, said, "Normally when there's a classroom hold we have to stay inside the building. So we had to stay in our classroom."
There was a significant police response. Officers found 17-year-old armed with a rifle in a backyard.
First responders radioed: "Yep, he's behind the garage. Walk toward us slowly. Stop right there."
They talked to him and got him to surrender.
More radio traffic said, "He has a gun in his right pocket. Gun, right pocket. We have a rifle on the ground behind the garage."
Waukesha police praised the "SPEAK UP, SPEAK OUT" campaign, calling the students who reported the incident courageous, saying they helped safeguard the community.
The identity of the 17-year-old that was taken into custody has not yet been released.