Report of gunshots in Waseca school unfounded
Sep. 29—The Free Press
WASECA — A mistaken report of gunshots at Waseca's alternative school prompted a lockdown and a response from numerous public safety agencies Thursday morning.
Gunshots were reported on the third floor of the Waseca school district's Central Building at 501 E. Elm Ave. just before 10:53 a.m., prompting Waseca police officers to attempt to locate the source.
"An initial investigation with school staff indicated that a student behavioral issue was likely the source of loud noises which were originally thought to be gunshots," according to a news release posted on the police department Facebook page Thursday afternoon. "The student was located and secured."
The Central Building, once the district's intermediate school, is now home to the Waseca Area Learning Center — an "alternative high school program designed to meet the needs of students who, for a variety of reasons, are not successful in the traditional school setting," according to the district's website. "The WALC includes grades 7-12 with a population of approximately 100 students," the website stated.
"Out of an abundance of caution, the building remained in lockdown and our officers with the assistance of neighboring agencies searched and cleared the entire building to ensure there was no one injured and that all students were accounted for," the police department news release reported.
Along with Waseca police, agencies responding to the initial report of gunshots included the Waseca County Sheriff's Office, the Janesville Police Department, the Department of Natural Resources, Waseca firefighters and the North Memorial Ambulance Service.
There were no injuries, no weapons were found, and the scene was cleared at 11:49 a.m.
