MOUNT HOREB, Wis. – An active shooter was “neutralized” outside a Wisconsin middle school on Wednesday, according to local officials.
The threat was spotted outside the school building. Police were called and the individual was “neutralized.” No one other than the suspect was injured, according to the Mount Horeb Area School District.
The district said police responded to help “scope out” an active shooter at the Mount Horeb Middle School in the 900 block of E. Garfield Street.
“The individual did not breach [the] entryway,” the district said on Facebook.
A local news outlet, Channel3 Now, provided an update that read, “A teenager armed with a rifle was outside the Mount Horeb Middle School building. Law enforcement shot the suspect before they could enter the middle school. Emergency medical evacuation was requested for the suspect. There are no reports of any other victims, and no injuries were reported among individuals inside the school.”
All school district buildings went into lockdown around 11:15 a.m. local time, the district said. Mount Horeb Middle School students were subsequently evacuated to an alternate site.
Once law enforcement authorities gave the approval, evacuated students were reunified with their parents, according to WMTV.
A backpack that is believed to belong to the shooter has been recovered, along with eleven or more expended shell casings.
“You would be so proud of our students and staff, and we’re so grateful for our first responders,” the district said.
The FBI has responded to the scene to assist local investigators, an agency spokesperson confirmed to ABC News.
No further details were immediately available.
The town of Mount Horeb has a population of just under 8,000 residents, and is located about 20 miles southwest of Madison in Dane County.