SUSSEX — Parents in the Hamilton School District are calling for quicker communication after prosecutors charged a teenager with threatening a school shooting days before the district notified families.
“I didn’t send my kids to school either. I don’t feel like my kids are safe,” Rose Torres said at the meeting. She reached out to TMJ4 about the situation.
According to a criminal complaint, 17-year-old Nolan Dwyer made the threats on Nov. 12 while attending CESA on Paul Road in Pewaukee, not Hamilton High School.
A teacher reported that Dwyer told other students he would “shoot up the school” if he were ever sent back to his “old district,” referencing Hamilton High School, and made gunshot noises.
Deputies arrested him that day, and prosecutors charged him on Nov. 13 with one felony count of making terrorist threats.
The complaint says Dwyer later told deputies he “had a lot going on,” initially indicated he would carry out the threat, then retracted the statement and said the teacher lied.
Watch: Parents demand transparency after teen charged with school-shooting threat involving Hamilton High
Deputies spoke with his mother, who told investigators she owns a handgun, keeps it locked, and plans to sell it.
Parents who spoke at Monday night’s school board meeting said the timing of communication raised concerns.
The threats were reported on Wednesday, the charges occurred on Thursday, and families received a district email on Monday.
“Too little too late. I kept my high schooler home,” parent Bridget said.
“That’s of large concern. In hindsight, why did we get this on Monday?” parent Joe Fuller asked.
One student also spoke.
“Hearing this come so late as a student — that’s not okay,” student Victoria Torres said. “Kids are on social media and talking about it, and now it’s a fear for my friends.”
In the email sent to families Monday morning, Superintendent Paul Mielke wrote that there was no imminent threat, that Dwyer does not attend Hamilton High School, and that law enforcement had not advised lockdowns or schedule changes.
Mielke described this as the first “off-site” threat the district has handled,
“We want to reassure you that anytime there is a safety concern involving individuals in our district, we communicate with families as soon as possible. In this situation, the process differed because the student involved does not attend Hamilton, and the comments were made at his current school,’ the email read.
Mielke wrote that the district plans to review its communication practices and apply the same notification approach to off-site threats as those involving students on campus.
The district added that the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department will have additional patrols at Hamilton High School this week.
Court records show Dwyer posted bond and has a hearing scheduled for Dec. 15.
You can read the district's full statement here:
Dear Hamilton School District Families,
We are reaching out regarding news circulating in our community about a 17-year-old who was arrested and charged for making threats against Hamilton High School. Please know we remain in frequent communication with the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department to monitor matters of safety. At no point did law enforcement inform us of an imminent threat or advise us to alter our typical school day procedures.
The student who made the comments, as well as those who heard them, do not attend Hamilton High School. Had there been any immediate concern for safety, families would have been notified. We want to reassure you that anytime there is a safety concern involving individuals in our district, we communicate with families as soon as possible. In this situation, the process differed because the student involved does not attend Hamilton and the comments were made at his current school.
This was the first time we have addressed a situation involving a student who is off-site, which required navigating circumstances that did not align with our typical protocols. As always, we collaborated closely with law enforcement, followed internal safety protocols and activated our threat assessment process.
We are grateful that the verbal comments were taken seriously and promptly reported to authorities. Even when threats are determined not to present immediate danger, they are fully investigated with careful attention and respect.
Out of an abundance of caution, the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department will have an increased presence at Hamilton High School this week.
I want to thank the parents who reached out to express concern about communication. Going forward, we will work to address off-site situations the same way we handle those occurring within our district. We will continue to review our practices and make adjustments that best support our families and community.
Thank you for your partnership, trust and understanding.
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