Police presence increased on Menominee Indian High School grounds after a man damaged school buildings Tuesday night

Rebecca Loroff, Green Bay Press-Gazette
·2 min read
2
A still of surveillance footage of an individual suspected to have damaged Menominee Indian High School buildings, taken at 11:34 p.m. October 11 in Keshena, Wis.
A still of surveillance footage of an individual suspected to have damaged Menominee Indian High School buildings, taken at 11:34 p.m. October 11 in Keshena, Wis.

KESHENA - Menominee Indian High School is increasing security after surveillance footage revealed an armed person on campus late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning.

A male wearing a dark, hooded sweatshirt and shorts was on the high school campus, N500 State 47, from 11:30 p.m. Tuesday to 5:30 a.m. Wednesday. He is suspected of damaging school buildings, the high school said. After reviewing surveillance footage, the school later announced the suspect may have been armed with an assault rifle and a handgun.

The high school went into a "soft lockdown" Wednesday morning, according to the school's Facebook page. Police cleared the campus and the school returned to its regular schedule shortly before 9:30 a.m.

That evening, however, the school shortened sports practices to get student-athletes home before dark and warned students and their families to stay away from the campus that night.

Additionally, the Menominee Tribal Police Department said they increased their presence on school grounds that evening and enforced a 9 p.m. youth curfew.

The suspect damaged doors at a maintenance storage shed and a concession stand, with full damages still to be determined, according to school district Superintendent Wendell Waukau.

Menominee Indian High School in Keshena
Menominee Indian High School in Keshena

The suspect is still at large as of Thursday morning, Waukau said. Accordingly, the school will continue to have police present during the late afternoon and evening Thursday, as they did after school on Wednesday.

Student safety is the main concern, said David Miller, School Board president. "We're doing what we have to do," he said. "It's our due diligence to protect our children."

The Menominee Indian cross-country meet has been rescheduled to Monday.

Menominee Chairman Ron Corn Sr. said police are trying to figure out if what the surveillance footage showed was part of a prank.

The Menominee Tribal Police Department is asking anyone with information to call their dispatch center at 715-799-3881.

This story will be updated.

Contact Rebecca Loroff at 920-907-7801 or rloroff@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @RebeccaLoroff.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Police presence increased at Menominee Indian High School in Keshena