Wisconsin
Teen is in custody after trying to enter Wisconsin elementary school while armed, police say
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A 13-year-old boy who had researched school shootings online was arrested hours after he tried to enter a Wisconsin elementary school with suspicious bags, police said.
Investigators believe the boy was armed, judging by videos of him brandishing what investigators believe was a rifle and comments he made to other students, said Patrick Patton, police chief in Kenosha, a city on Lake Michigan between Milwaukee and Chicago.
“We narrowly missed a tragedy,” Patton said at a news conference Thursday afternoon.
The teen tried to enter Roosevelt Elementary School around 9 a.m. Thursday with a backpack and a duffle bag, according to police. Staff members grew suspicious and moved to question him, but he fled.
Kenosha Unified schools were placed on lockdown for the rest of the day as police searched for the boy. They finally arrested him at his home that afternoon.
The teen attends Mahone Middle School in Kenosha and was a former Roosevelt Elementary student, police said, but they have not released his name. They said in a news release Friday that he has been charged with making terroristic threats. Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley said in an email to The Associated Press on Friday that the boy will be prosecuted in juvenile court, where proceedings are confidential.
It was unclear Friday whether the boy was actually armed when he tried to enter the elementary school. Patton said investigators believe he was carrying a firearm, but the chief has not said whether police recovered any weapons or ammunition from him.
A search of his home netted several pellet guns that resembled real handguns and a pellet rifle that resembled a real rifle, police said in Friday’s news release. The boy’s mother told investigators he didn’t have access to any actual firearms.
The teen told detectives he went to the elementary school to sell candy but later told a social worker he intended to scare students, police said.
Investigators also “have information that the suspect performed multiple internet searches related to school shootings,” Patton said Thursday, adding that the teen had shared videos and made several comments to fellow students for weeks before Thursday.
“This is something that had been told to people of his growing intentions,” Patton said. “We know that there is internet searches, and all the red flags that we would look for and expect someone to report were there.”
Police received at least one video of the student wielding what investigators believe is a rifle, Patton said. The chief played a video at a news conference Thursday that shows the student holding a firearm as he appears to practice room-entry techniques, Patton said. The chief did not specify when or where the video was filmed, but it appears to have been filmed in a home.
“The Kenosha Police Department had reason to believe the suspect had access to some type of firearm based on videos on social media and other witness information,” the agency said in Friday’s news release. “The actions on scene were extremely suspicious and the internet activity by the suspect suggested they had extensive research history related to previous school shootings, information on how to execute a school shooting, and specifics about the targeted building.”
The student was taken into custody some six months after police shot and killed an armed student outside a Wisconsin middle school following a report of someone with a weapon. The May shooting in Mount Horeb, outside Madison, sent children fleeing and led to an hourslong lockdown of local schools. Prosecutors announced in August that the officers who fatally shot the student would not face criminal charges.
Kenosha made national headlines in August 2020 after a white police officer shot a Black man during a domestic disturbance, leaving him paralyzed. The shooting spurred several nights of protests. A white Illinois teenager named Kyle Rittenhouse shot three people during the unrest, killing two of them. A jury eventually acquitted Rittenhouse of any wrongdoing after he argued he fired in self-defense.
___
Callahan reported from Indianapolis.
Wisconsin
Cult-classic filmed in central Wisconsin returns to big screen, with enhancements, this weekend
STEVENS POINT, Wis. (WSAW) – A giant spider isn’t actually invading central Wisconsin this weekend.
But an enhanced, big-screen version of the cult-classic 1975 film The Giant Spider Invasion is crawling back into local theaters — and it’s bringing some central Wisconsin nostalgia with it.
The movie was famously filmed in Merrill and Stevens Point, and the updated 2026 release adds enhancements designed for a modern theatrical experience.
What’s new in the 2026 enhanced version?
Executive Producer J.B. Thompson says the team took the original 1975 film and enhanced it for the big screen in 2026, giving audiences a refreshed way to experience a movie that’s long been a Wisconsin oddity — and a point of pride.
Actor and Producer Dan Davies is featured in newly filmed scenes created specifically for this updated release.
Stevens Point’s role in the original film
While much of the film is associated with Merrill, Stevens Point Mayor Mike Wiza says Point also played a major role in the production — another reason the film’s return matters to local history buffs and movie fans alike.
Why does this movie still capture attention 50 years later?
Whether it’s the over-the-top creature feature story, the uniquely Wisconsin filming locations, or the nostalgia of seeing familiar places on screen, the group says the film’s staying power is real — even five decades later.
Screenings this weekend
The enhanced version of The Giant Spider Invasion is set for local screenings this weekend in Central and North Central Wisconsin. To purchase tickets for showings in Stevens Point, Marshfield or Waupaca, click here.
Click here to download the WSAW news app or WSAW First Alert weather app.
Click here to submit a news tip or story idea.
Copyright 2026 WSAW. All rights reserved.
A Wisconsin man has been arrested in Colorado in connection with a fatal north suburban hit-and-run earlier this year that left a 50-year-old woman killed.
According to the Winthrop Harbor Police Department, Travis Kern, 35, of Pleasant Prairie, turned himself into police in Lakewood Colorado on an arrest warrant. Kern was charged with two felonies, police said, and remains in custody in Colorado pending extradition proceedings.
About 11:10 p.m. on February 26, a pedestrian was struck in the 1400 block of Sheridan Road in Winthrop Harbor by a driver of a vehicle heading northbound. The vehicle then fled the scene, police said.
The pedestrian, later identified as Shanna White, 50, of Waukegan, was transported to a nearby hospital where she was pronounced dead.
According to court documents, Kern’s next scheduled court date is set for July 22.
WHITEWATER, Wis. (WMTV) – The Kids from Wisconsin troupe is kicking off its 56th annual tour this week.
Kids from Wisconsin is a traveling show with 22 singer-dancers and 14 band members. The troupe performs across Wisconsin, hosting workshops for kids and helping fundraise for youth arts programs.
This year’s theme is “America’s Soundtrack: The Pulse of a Nation.” The theme honors the 250th anniversary of America and features music by all-American composers, bands and performers.
Kids from Wisconsin bassist and student leader Alex Coller said that range is what makes this year’s tour stand out.
“The theme is really just celebrating American music. And I think it’s definitely one of the most cohesive and like diverse shows I have played with this organization,” Coller said. “Even though its just American music it’s really cool to see. Anyone no matter who you are, or what your musical background is, or whether you like music or not, there is something here for everyone to enjoy.”
Kids from Wisconsin’s artistic and choral director, Taras Nahirniak, said audiences won’t want to miss it.
“Find a show near you, you are not going to want to miss this show. It’s just spectacular, the kids are so talented,” Nahirniak said. “We are just finishing up our camp right now, and they are just working their tails off. To really go around the state and show the state what they have.”
The tour premieres Thursday night at Young Auditorium in Whitewater. For tickets, tour dates or to find a show, visit kidsfromwi.org.
Click here to download the WMTV15 News app or our WMTV15 First Alert weather app.
Copyright 2026 WMTV. All rights reserved.
-
Lifestyle22 minutes ago4 ways to design a dreamy summer, according to a happiness expert
-
Education27 minutes agoVideo: School Year Cut Short and Aid Delivery Slowed Amid Fuel Crisis in Cuba
-
Technology34 minutes agoOur favorite Prime Day deals you can shop on day two
-
World37 minutes agoKim Jong Un calls for North Korea to build 2 large warships per year in major naval expansion push: report
-
Politics42 minutes agoTrump to kick off Great American State Fair as 250th anniversary celebrations take over National Mall
-
Health49 minutes agoOne common type of fat may increase diabetes risk, while another helps fight it
-
Sports52 minutes agoESPN’s Jay Williams faces awkward ribbing from colleagues during NBA Draft
-
Technology57 minutes agoHelmet-style cockpit vision system aims to change how pilots see in low visibility
