A Wisconsin suspect is in custody, there is no threat to the school district
From the Steuben County Sheriff
Sheriff Jim Allard reports that on November 1st, 2023, at about 10:20pm, a social media message was reported to the Sheriff’s Office in which a photo depicted what appears to be a firearm, with a caption “Don’t come to school tomorrow”. This message was shared by persons in the Wayland-Cohocton School District, causing security concerns and alarm, and the temporary closing of the school. Sheriff’s Office Deputies and Investigators worked through the night to track down the origin of this message. It is now confirmed that this message originated in Wisconsin, with a similar sharing and response within the local school district there. The originator of the message is currently in police custody in Wisconsin. Due to the age of the person originating the message, no name will be provided. There appears to be no direct association between this person and anyone in the Wayland-Cohocton School District outside of social media. No direct threat was made here, nor was there any overt attempt at violence conducted here.
The Sheriff’s Office urges all parents to communicate the dangers of accepting social media friend requests from unknown persons to their children. We also recommend that parents remain involved in their children’s social media accounts and report any suspicious activity to your local law enforcement.
Sheriff Allard thanks the Monroe Crime Analysis Center, Snap Inc., the Woodruff Wisconsin Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their assistance in this investigation.
