School officials in Mount Horeb, Wis., said that an “active shooter” who was near a middle school on Wednesday was “neutralized” after the police swarmed the area.
“There has been an active shooter near our middle school this morning,” the Mount Horeb Area School District wrote on Facebook on Wednesday morning. “The individual did not breach entryway.”
Later, the district in Mount Horeb, a village of 7,600 residents, about 20 miles southwest of Madison, said that an initial search of the middle school had not turned up any additional suspects.
“As importantly, we have no reports of individuals being harmed, with the exception of the alleged assailant,” the district said. Schools in Mount Horeb were in “hard lockdown,” the district said, as police officers circulated through the middle school.
The district did not offer details on how the “active shooter” was stopped but said that it happened outside the middle school. The Associated Press reported that witnesses described hearing gunshots and seeing dozens of children running.
The Mount Horeb Police Department and the Dane County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to calls and emails seeking information.
The district initially urged parents not to come to the middle school for their children.
“Students will remain in buildings while the police continue their investigation,” the district said, adding that “reunification will take time and will be done in stages.”
Melissa Alvarado told WMTV, a Wisconsin television station, that she was at work when her children called her to say that there had been a shooting. “Getting that call and not knowing, Are they going to make it? Is this going to be our last phone call?” she said. “It’s hard.”
In a joint statement, the village of Mount Horeb and the Mount Horeb Area Chamber of Commerce expressed gratitude to the police and to local businesses that provided a safe space for students to shelter.
Gov. Tony Evers of Wisconsin said that he was closely monitoring the situation.
“I am praying for the health and safety of our kids, educators, and staff and grateful for the first responders who are working quickly to respond,” he wrote on social media.
Joe Parisi, the county executive, said in a statement that “moments like this turn lives upside down, cause trauma, sorrow, and a moment of reflection for all of us.”
He added, “Let’s all take a moment today to hug our kids and come together to help Mount Horeb heal.”