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Man Arrested For Threatening Student At Somerset (Wis.) School

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A 20-year-old man was arrested Thursday after he verbally threatened a student at Somerset (Wis.) Elementary School and forced the school district to go into a lockdown, according to the Somerset Police Department.

Authorities were notified of the incident at about 8:17 a.m. after the student reported the threat to a teacher. The Somerset School District issued a lockdown across all its schools as a precaution as officers searched the area for the man. They were unable to find the suspect, but identified him through the school district's security procedures.

Police swept through each school and determined that the man left the building after the initial threat.

Late Thursday morning, the suspect was taken into custody with the help of the New Richmond Police Department. The man was identified as Andrew Joseph Robert Wallace. He was booked into the St. Croix County Jail after refusing to answer questions from police about the incident. Wallace was charged with disorderly conduct.

As a precaution, officials said all of Somerset Public Schools will remain in an external lockdown for the rest of the day. Somerset Police said they've placed an officer at each school in the district.

In a statement, District Administrator Randy Rosburg said school administrators are taking the threat very seriously and that all students are safe and with district employees inside their schools.

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