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BROOKFIELD – The township police chief said Tuesday that alleged threats made days prior were deemed unfounded and false, as hundreds of students missed school Tuesday.
According to a news release from police Chief Aaron Kasiewicz, Brookfield police were made aware of students talking about a potential threat toward the school district, and as a result, school and police staff spent several hours speaking with students to try and validate the claims.
The release states the sources of the claims were tracked down and it was found that none of the reported remarks were made, only third-party information passed along by students, with no one directly hearing any threats.
The release states the comments were rooted in a Snapchat post made Oct. 15, which said, “Imma be real, (Expletive) everyone they ain't worth my time or patience. And they about to see that I don't just say I'm bout shit cause mearch I'll die for it I ain't got shit to lose.”
The student in question was reportedly approached by other students confronting him about the situation, leading the student to speak with staff.
The release states the student left school voluntarily and agreed to not return the following day, so the situation could be sorted out.
“Based on the information learned, the Brookfield School District put out a notification to parents that the information did not pose a creditable threat to the district,” the release states. “But out of an abundance of caution would have an increased police presence on Oct. 20, 2026.”
The release states that social media posts among parents and adults warning others to not send their children to school began circulating, claiming that the student threatened to "Shoot up the school" and noting times and locations, as well as claims that the student had "pulled a firearm on a student in the bathroom.”
Brookfield police investigated the credibility of the claims and found them to be “unfounded and false,” but 400 students were absent from school Tuesday, and the student in question received harassment on social media.
Kasiewicz said he expressed concern about having a bolstered police presence at the school, because it might make students think something was happening, but officers would be there if it made students feel safer.
He said the situation would have been handled differently if there was any suggestion of a threat or he used words like “gun” or “shoot” in the post.
“The fact that he never said anything, how are we going to chastise or punish a kid that didn’t say this and a rumor was started?” Kasiewicz said. “If I had even an inkling that something was going to happen, I would have them close that school.”
Kasiewicz said he was up until 2:30 a.m. tracking down leads and returning calls to parents and people that were upset, adding that the leads all resulted in dead ends.
The chief said the incident was unfortunate, because the dozens of students, parents and individuals who had posted could verify they heard the kid make any of the threats.
“One student said that they heard him go to a teacher and say, ‘Hypothetically, if I were to shoot up the school, what kind of trouble would I get in?’,” Kasiewicz said. “We tracked it down, and he went up to this teacher and said, “Hey, am I going to get in trouble? Kids are running around saying I said this.” And that teacher sent him to the office, and that’s where our end of it started with him.”
Superintendent Toby Gibson reaffirmed the district’s commitment to safety, noting it remains the district’s top priority.