Tomah Police Department Investigating Threatening Email Sent to Tomah High School Staff Members

Tuesday, March 12th, 2024 -- 1:01 PM

The Tomah Police Department is investigating a threatening email sent to some Tomah High School staff members.

The Tomah Police Department was contacted by a member of the Tomah High School alerting them to a threatening email that was sent to numerous High School staff members. This email contained threats of violence towards students and teachers.

School district administration, district IT staff, and the Tomah Police Department immediately began investigating these threats and the origin of this email. At the time, a few area citizens were inside the school utilizing the facility for sports practice. They were asked to leave the school.

The Tomah Police Department requested assets from the Wisconsin State Patrol. The exterior and entire interior of the facility were checked and nothing of concern was observed or located. The area surrounding the school was also canvassed and nothing concerning was located.

Information obtained from district IT professionals was used to attempt to source the origin of the email. They also reached out to our Law Enforcement partners with the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation-La Crosse.

All information indicates the email originated outside the United States. This threat was linked to the Tomah High School based on the email sent to only high school staff members. With that said, they haven’t been solely focused on the high school and have been monitoring the other school facilities.

For nearly 20 years, the Tomah Police Department has dedicated law enforcement resources to schools, everyday. If an officer is not responding to a call-for-service, they are patrolling and monitoring the many school zones.

Schools and community are important and they will do whatever is necessary to aid in creating a safe environment for all. After this threat was made, they had many area law enforcement partners wanting to help. You will see an increase in uniformed law enforcement around the schools.

Their goal is to have a visible presence at or near each school facility. This may be challenging considering the number of facilities. You as parents and students play a vital role in the safety and security of the schools and community.

They encourage your assistance in reporting anything you might deem suspicious. If you see something, say something. That is how to work together as a community to solve problems and collectively send a message that everyone is invested in the safety of children.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.