Oshkosh police say a school resource officer shot an “armed” student who had stabbed him in his high school office in a Wisconsin community near Green Bay. The officer was wounded in the incident. It was the second school shooting by an officer in Wisconsin in about 24 hours. Authorities described it as an “edged weapon.”
In a news conference, police said that dispatchers first heard a garbled dispatch from the officer who called for help and asked for an ambulance. Officers responded immediately to the school. Authorities said in a press conference that there was an altercation in the school resource officer’s office. The student “produced a weapon and stabbed the officer, at which time the officer fired on the student, striking the student one time,” said police. They said the student was 16 years old. It’s now believed neither the officer nor the student has life-threatening injuries.
“Trained school resource officers can help save lives,” Superintendent Vickie Cartwright said in the press conference. Authorities said they were investigating whether there was a previous threat on Snapchat. They are also investigating rumors that there were threats made to another school in the area and said they’re investigating whether the earlier shooting in Waukesha, Wisconsin inspired the Oshkosh student. They are also looking into the student’s background. He was a current student.
“There has been an officer involved shooting at Oshkosh West high school,” Oshkosh, Wisconsin police wrote earlier on their Facebook page.
“The school is currently locked down and parents can be reunited with their children at Perry Tipler Middle school. A student was armed with a weapon and confronted a school resource officer. The student and officer were both injured and transported to local hospitals. Only one student was injured. This incident is being turned over to The state department of criminal investigations who will conduct the investigation, there will be more information released as it becomes available.” Police did not specify the weapon. They also didn’t release any names or the conditions of the officer or student.
In law enforcement dispatch audio reviewed by Heavy, an officer, who sounds out of breath, says, “I believe I have a very bad wrist injury that was bleeding very bad. I have one student I believe who is shot.” A “severe wrist injury,” the dispatcher repeats at another point in the audio. “All we know is we have one detective on scene.” That was a few minutes after the incident occurred. At that point, other units were responding. That passage starts at the tail end of this archived audio file from Broadcastify, around 26 minutes in.
Here’s more dispatch audio of the aftermath:
In a video interview posted on WBAY-TV’s website, Oshkosh police public affairs officer Kate Mann said that, at 9:12 a.m., officers were dispatched to West High School after receiving a report of an officer-involved shooting. She described it as an “altercation” that started “when a student armed with a weapon had confronted a school resource officer.” West High School was being evacuated, she said.
Oshkosh, Wisconsin is a community located near Green Bay in the Fox Valley.
praying for Oshkosh💛💛
Here’s video from the scene:
Here’s what you need to know:
It Was the Second School Shooting Incident in Wisconsin in About 24 Hours
Oshkosh parents are trying to connect with their students. District asking for patience. @WFRVLocal5
It was the second such shooting to leave the State of Wisconsin reeling since Monday morning. The Oshkosh high school shooting incident broke out on the morning of December 3, 2019. Almost exactly 24 hours before, a Waukesha police officer shot a student armed with pellet guns inside Waukesha South High School, police there said in a statement. Waukesha is a suburban county near Milwaukee. The two communities are located about 80 miles apart.
People expressed great upset on social media. “…this morning Oshkosh west high school had another shooting ??? so close to home,” wrote one.
Really…Oshkosh West now? I cringe when my kids tell me about safety/lockdown drills at school but it is an unfortunate necessity in America today.
The Oshkosh Area School District wrote on its Facebook page: “UPDATE at 10:16 a.m: As a reminder, OASD parents must show photo ID when arriving to pick up students at Perry Tipler Middle School. ATTENTION: Oshkosh West High School has been placed on lockdown and students have been evacuated to Perry Tipler Middle School. West parents, please check your IC Parent Portal for additional information. Information will be shared as it becomes available.”
Students described what happened.
In the earlier incident, Waukesha police reported that, on Monday, December 2, 2019 at approximately 10:07 a.m., a student “reported that a male student was reported to have brought a handgun to school and was currently in possession of this handgun. The School Resource Officer immediately responded to the classroom. The SRO made efforts to secure the classroom by getting other students to safety. Other officers responded to the school and began dialogue with the suspect in an attempt to deescalate the situation. The suspect would not remove his hands from his pocket and continued to ignore officers’ commands. The suspect removed the handgun from his waistband and pointed it at the officers.” Police later clarified that the school resource officer was not the officer who fired. In a press conference on December 3, police stated that the student had two weapons that were pellet guns. They identified the officer who fired as Brady Esser.
Video of evacuation at Oshkosh West High School following shooting: t.co/10xevZCQlL
“An officer was forced to discharge his firearm striking the suspect. Officers immediately provided lifesaving medical attention. The remaining students were evacuated from the classroom and the school was put on LOCK DOWN,” Waukesha police said of that incident. “A firearm was recovered. The suspect is a 17-year-old male. He was transported to the hospital and is in stable condition. The officer is an 11-year veteran of the police department. No officer or other students were injured during this incident.”
On December 2, 2019, there was a second weapon-related scare at a different Waukesha High School, police there said.
“On Monday, December 2, 2019, at approximately 1:11 PM, it was reported that a Waukesha North High School student was in possession of a firearm. The School Resource Officer immediately launched an investigation and determined there was a possibility the student was inside of the school. The school was placed on lockdown to ensure the safety of students and faculty. Additional officers responded and conducted a search of the school for the known suspect; it was determined he was no longer on school property,” Waukesha police reported.
“Officers responded to the suspect’s residence on Gascoigne Dr., and due to the threat of a firearm, took precautions while attempting to take the suspect into custody. The Waukesha Police Department’s HUMMV Rescue Vehicle, along with the Menomonee Falls Police Department Canine, responded to the scene. The suspect, a 15-year-old male, was taken into custody without incident. A facsimile firearm was located hidden in the residence. Nobody was injured during the evolution of the incident.”
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