Kenosha teen arrested for school threat remains in custody; charges referred

KENOSHA, Wis. (CBS 58) — We’re learning more from police about a Kenosha teen arrested for making threats to carry out a school shooting.

Police confirmed that it is the same teen arrested last year for bringing an airsoft gun into Roosevelt Elementary School.

He was sentenced in January 2025 to one year in juvenile detention for that incident, with an expected release in November.

Now, investigators believe he was planning violence around the one-year anniversary of the mass shooting at Madison's Abundant Life Christian School.

CBS 58 is not naming him because he is a minor and has not been charged as an adult.

According to Kenosha Police Chief Patrick Patton, the teen has been detained for more than two weeks now.

Police records show he was first detained at a hospital, and Patton said on Monday he was in KPD's custody, with plans to transfer him to juvenile detention custody before Tuesday morning.

"We're confident that this was again, another well thought-out and probably intended act of violence that we were able to stop," Patton said, emphasizing the seriousness of a potential threat toward Kenosha schools. "Given his history and some of the digital forensic evidence that we're still working through, we can say that there was definitely more than just an individual that was making an emotional response - or saying something that they may regret - online."

Authorities found several social media accounts linked to the teen, all with similar content, including images of the person responsible for the shooting at Abundant Life Christian School last year.

"Almost an obsession with trying to idolize those who have carried out mass violence, reviewing incidents of mass violence, and in our opinion, training or prepping to carry out that type of behavior," Patton described.

After the teen's most recent arrest, Kenosha police bodycam footage shows him lunge at an officer, attempting to disarm him, until officers wrestle him to the ground.

Along with disturbing social media posts, investigators believe the teen may have wanted to target KTEC Schools of Innovation or Kenosha Unified School District schools.

Police said he had researched if KTEC would be open on Dec. 16. The campus is less than one mile from the boy's home address, along with several public schools.

"He may be researching one school, and if we put all of our efforts there, that's going to be a mistake, because then we're very narrowly focused," Patton explained.

Kenosha police will be at schools this week, including on Tuesday, the one-year anniversary of the ALCS shooting.

"We know that we need to be a little more vigilant on those dates, because the idea of a copycat has been proven before," Patton said.

Patton maintains there's no longer an active threat to any Kenosha schools.

Both KUSD and KTEC schools plan to remain open on Dec. 16.

KUSD Superintendent Jeff Weiss sent this statement to parents on Monday:

"Last week, we shared that the Kenosha Police Department notified us that an individual responsible for past school threats was again making concerning online posts. That individual was detained at that time and remains detained. Please see the Kenosha Police Department’s news release below for additional details.

While threats were not directed toward KUSD schools, they are serious and warrant awareness, particularly given the impact on our school community last fall. With the anniversary of the abundant life Christian school shooting being tomorrow, Tuesday, dec. 16, we have asked staff to remain attentive to student behavior, review ALICE (alert, lockdown, inform, counter, evacuate) procedures, and seek support from building principals as needed.

Maintaining a safe learning environment requires ongoing vigilance, not just on anniversaries of past tragedies, but every day. We encourage families and staff to continue reporting any concerning behaviors promptly so they can be addressed appropriately. This can be done by phone, email, or anonymously via speak up speak out."

KTEC'S executive director, Angela Andersson, sent this statement to CBS 58:

"After a thorough discussion with the Kenosha Police Department, we wanted to assure you that KTEC will remain open for school tomorrow.

We understand the concerns from parents and the community, and we are committed to maintaining a safe environment for our students and staff. We will continue to follow our established safety protocols, which include keeping all doors locked, monitoring entrances and exits, requiring visitors to report to the office to receive a badge before entering student areas, and encouraging students to speak up if they see something unusual. Additionally, we require students to keep backpacks, bags, and purses in their lockers throughout the school day."

KPD referred charges to the Kenosha County District Attorney's Office for terroristic threats, attempting to disarm, and resisting arrest.

"We're hoping that now that we've done our part, we can refer it over to the courts and we can make sure that this threat doesn't return," Patton said.

As of now, the teen's parents are not facing any charges.

"There's a law that holds some sort of liability if they access firearms and weapons. In this case, that hasn't happened," Patton explained.

However, police reports show the teen did look up ways to get firearms, even searching the name of a local Kenosha gun shop.

"While we do believe there was some attempts and research on how to go about doing that, we have no indication or proof that that was actually obtained," Patton said.

Patton also said this case is a reminder that it is important to closely monitor children's social media use, and to report any concerns immediately.

"In most of these cases, we look back and we say, if a parent checked what their kids were doing and what they were engaging in, some of these things would have jumped out right away," he explained.

Once the teen is transferred to juvenile intake, they will be the ones to determine if he'll remain in custody, and for how long.

Despite KPD, KUSD, and KTEC's assurance there is no longer a threat, several Kenosha parents told us off camera they plan to keep their students home on Tuesday.