Threats scare HHS students, teachers

By Randy Hanson

Hudson High School students huddled in darkened corners of their classrooms for close to half an hour Friday morning while authorities searched for a boy who allegedly had threatened to shoot school principals.

The ordeal ended when the 17-year-old was taken into custody by sheriff's deputies at his home outside of Hudson.

The lockdown - ordered after school administrators learned of the boy's threats - was all the more frightening because of what had gone on earlier in the day.

Hudson police officers, firefighters and school administrators searched students' backpacks before they entered the building Friday morning. The checkpoints were a response to a bomb threat found written on a boys restroom wall on Wednesday.

The bomb threat and the incident involving the 17-year-old don't appear to be connected, according to authorities, but students and teachers didn't know that during the lockdown.

Superintendent Ron Bernth said classes were delayed about 10 minutes at the start of the day.

Then at 10:25 a.m., just before the end of third hour, Principal Beth Lanning announced over the public address system that the school was going into a lockdown. Teachers locked their classroom doors and told students to move away from windows. In at least some classrooms, furniture was placed against doors and windows.

The measures were taken after Police-School Liaison Officer Ed Rankin received a phone call from a Stillwater social worker at 10:22 a.m., according to a Hudson Police Department report. The report says that Rankin was told the 17-year-old's parents had found two handguns in his backpack and that he had said that the principals at Hudson High "all should be shot."

It is believed the social worker called the school shortly after receiving the information from one of the boy's parents.

St. Croix County Sheriff Dennis Hillstead said the boy's father took the guns from the boy's backpack Thursday evening. The suspect didn't have the weapons in his possession Friday, the sheriff said, but authorities didn't know that at first.

Hillstead said it is his understanding that the boy drove to the school Friday morning, but returned home.

School administrators, Rankin and another Hudson police officer looked for the boy in the school after his alleged threats were reported. The lockdown was initiated when they couldn't find him.

The boy's father came to the school looking for him while the lockdown was in place.

Superintendent Bernth said there were some anxious moments when the parking lot monitor reported that a person with the same last name as the suspect had checked in.

"They jumped to the conclusion that it was him when in fact it was his father," Bernth said. "That also heightened the concern here at the high school."

In the minutes before the youth was located, police were looking for a newer, black Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck.

The police report indicates that during the manhunt the social worker called the boy's home and he answered the phone. He was home alone, according to the report.

St. Croix County sheriff's deputies and Hudson police officers converged on the residence minutes later. The boy was taken into custody at 10:52 a.m.

Sheriff Hillstead said the youth was placed in 72-hour emergency detention and was to undergo a psychological examination. Hillstead wouldn't say where the boy was taken. Police radio transmissions indicated that it was to the Mendota Mental Health Institute in Madison.

Hillstead said he sent reports on the incident to the district attorney's office.

District Attorney Eric Johnson on Monday said he had just received the reports. He said he didn't know yet whether he would be filing criminal charges against the youth.

"I don't want to predict what is going to happen on it," he said.

Almost lost in tumult over the alleged shooting threat was the bomb threat that preceded it.

Thursday evening, Hudson police officers and firefighters joined school personnel in searching the building for a possible bomb. High school staff members were placed at every entrance to the high school early Friday morning and only authorized personnel were allowed to enter the building.

When students arrived, they were directed to one of three checkpoints, where they were asked to put their backpacks, packages and bulky jackets on a table. They were allowed to enter the building after a quick inspection of their belongings.

No bombs were discovered, but authorities found other things.

Police say one girl was carrying marijuana. Four students were cited for possession of cigarettes. A boy was charged with possession of a concealed weapon for allegedly having a butterfly knife on his person.

In a letter sent home to parents, Principal Lanning said students were never in danger.