AirDrop Active Shooter Threat at Wm. Kelly High School in Silver Bay

 By Steve Fernlund

A multi-school event at William Kelly High School in Silver Bay was promptly ended by an active shooter warning Thursday morning, March 23. 

Students from Grand Marais and Two Harbors had just entered the school auditorium for a “students only” presentation of “The Diary of Anne Frank.” A student from Two Harbors used the AirDrop function of their Apple iPhone to send a colorful graphic that included the words “Active Shooter in the Building.” Another student opened the AirDrop message on their phone and reported it to school officials. 

There was not a shooter, active or otherwise, at the scene.

There was a law enforcement presence at the school for the event. “We always have law enforcement present whenever we have big events at one of our schools,” said Jay Belcastro, Superintendent of School District 381. The students from Grand Marais and Two Harbors were immediately evacuated to their buses and WKHS students were returned to class. The play was canceled.

In order to send an AirDrop message, the sender needs to sign in with their Apple ID on their device making identification of the sender fairly easy. The juvenile was detained on site and brought to the Duluth Juvenile Detention Center. The Lake County attorney's office is considering what charges may be brought.