Jan. 6, 2025
SPARTA, Wis. – Sparta Police say in public statements they began investigating online threats made against Meadowview Middle School on Sunday and their investigation shows those threats were not real. but they believe the threats were made on “burner” account by a 14-year-old girl to bring harassment to a 13-year-old student.
Police say the Sparta Police Department and Sparta Area School District received reports of online threats to students at the Meadowview Middle School on Sunday, Dec. 5. Officers and school staff began to immediately make appropriate notifications and investigate the threats.
Law enforcement conducted an in-depth investigation into the online posts. Officers and investigators worked with legal departments of online apps, executed emergency information requests to service providers, conducted interviews, and performed searches of various devices throughout the night. The firearm displayed in one post was located and found to be a toy firearm. After a thorough investigation it was determined that one suspect was responsible for the threatening posts. Furthermore, the posts came from a “burner,” or fake account/name.
Screenshots of the online posts still continue to circulate. The posts appear to be made by a 13-year-old Meadowview student, however, the account is a fake account using the student’s name. In their statement Sparta Police said they would like to emphasize that this student is a victim in this case. They had no knowledge of the posts and no participation in creating the posts. This incident has been determined to be targeted harassment against this student, and not a school-wide threat.
The perpetrator has been identified as a 14-year-old. The Sparta Police Department will refer the following charges: Identity Theft – Harm Reputation, Swatting – False Reporting of an Emergency, and Terrorist Threats. Our investigation is complete and will be relayed to the proper agencies. Because of the age of the suspect, the current placement of the minor, as well as final charges, are determined by Monroe County Human Services. Any discipline within the school system is separate, and determined by the Sparta Area School District in accordance with school district policy.
Both the Sparta Police Department and Sparta Area School District take these types of incidents very seriously. Many of our officers are parents, several with children in the Sparta schools. Student safety is our top priority and we work very hard to protect all students and staff. We appreciate everyone who quickly reported what they saw and heard so we could investigate any potential safety threat. Although we believe our schools to be very safe, our officers will continue to have an increased presence throughout the week.
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