Tim Ryan, tryan@wolfrivermedia.com
A threatening text message from a former student sent the Bonduel School District into a lockdown for about an hour Thursday, until Bonduel police took the subject into custody.
Bonduel Police Chief Todd Chaney said a student at the high school reported to school officials shortly after 10 a.m. that he had gotten a text from a former student who was threatening to bring a gun to the school and shoot another student.
“The school went into its security protocols,” Chaney said, and notified parents of the situation.
Police officers went to the residence of the 18-year-old former student and took him into custody without incident. He was being held at Shawano County Jail on a probation hold.
No weapon was found.
Chaney said the text message appeared to be “a lot of bravado,” with no indication the teen planned to actually carry out the threat. He said it apparently involved a relationship with another student at the school.
Chaney said he was cooperative when arrested and admitted to sending the text.
Charges were still being determined. At the least, the teen could face a disorderly conduct charge, Chaney said, but the district attorney’s office could go as far as bringing a charge of making a terrorist threat.
The school ended its lockdown around 11 a.m. Parents were once again notified.
Chaney commended the school for its handling of the situation.
“They did a really good job,” he said. “Their system worked flawlessly.”
He said the school’s security plan, including its alert to parents, worked as designed.
Chaney also credited the student who came forward after receiving the threatening text.
“I appreciate the student who reported it to staff,” he said.