Crime and Courts

Lolo man charged for alleged school shooting threat

Posted: Dec 26, 2012 9:09 PM

LOLO - A Lolo man is facing a misdemeanor charge for allegedly making threats on Dec. 20 to open fire in a Wyoming school.

Erik Sven Wengren allegedly admitted threatening to commit a school shooting in Gillette, Wyo., where his cousin went to school.

Once he was confronted about making the threat, investigators say he told them he was just joking.

Wengren is now facing a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge for the alleged incident.

The Missoula County Sheriff's says he made the threats during Facebook and email conversations with his cousin and several others.

The Gillette Police Department found out and asked Missoula detectives for help. Investigators tracked down and interviewed Wengren at his home on Pleasant Meadows Lane.

"We felt it was important to arrest this individual for disorderly conduct to send a message-not just to our community, but to students who will be going back to school soon-to anybody that would be making jokes, or making legitimate threats about a school shooting that our office is going to respond quickly," said Missoula County Sheriff's Office PIO Detective Jason Johnson.

"And it's not going to be just and informational report about what happened, we are going to press charges' he added.

Prosecutors say both Wengren and his mother told investigators they didn't own any guns and there were no guns in the house.