Police shot dead a student at the Mount Horeb Middle School in the US state of Wisconsin on Wednesday. Authorities clarified that the student, identified as a juvenile male, was killed outside the school premises, indicating he never gained entry and no one else was harmed.
It remained unclear who the student was, what weapon he was carrying and whether he was acting alone. Police were alerted when reports of gun shots in the Mount Horeb Middle School began coming through sending people fleeing in panic. All school districts were locked down as a manhunt got underway. But well after the student was shot, schools remained on lock down for hours together with police on the alert and physically present in large numbers.
Reports said anxious parents had an agonizing wait for updates with children recounting scenes of fear and chaos in the school premises. One of them 12-year-old Max Kelly recalled how a practice session in the school gym turned into frenzied panic as shots were heard. Their teachers swift action guided them to safety, seeking refuge in a convenience store nearby until reunited with their families.
The Mount Horeb Area School District used social media platforms to keep the community informed, assuring them that the immediate threat had been neutralized and no additional suspects were reported within the school. However, the traumatic experience left parents with the ugly reality that school safety is no longer guaranteed.
Mount Horeb is a tourist draw because of its reputation as the world’s “Troll Capital”. The area is heavily populated by immigrants from Norway and other parts of Scandinavia, who brought with them their quaint mythology including trolls. The last are basically figurines scattered all over the town with tails and big noses. These are largely made of wood or porcelain. Each troll has a name, usually themed to the kind of mischief they get up to.
