(Photos by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
KENOSHA, Wis. — Parents across the Kenosha Unified School District were met Tuesday morning by an unusually heavy police presence, with squads positioned outside nearly every school building, as the city responded to widespread concern over a school shooting threat tied to Donavon Castillo, a 15-year-old from the 6700 block of 30th Avenue. Also noticed, was an extremely low attendance at schools.
Kenosha Police Chief Patrick Patton confirmed to Kenosha County Eye that the department treated Tuesday as an all-hands-on-deck day, assigning officers and detectives directly to schools throughout the district, pulling personnel from investigative bureaus to increase visibility and address public concern following days of conflicting and incomplete information about the alleged threat.
According to Patton, the surge was intended to reassure parents, students, and staff while questions remained unresolved. He also confirmed that the juvenile at the center of the threat — whom police cannot publicly name but whom Kenosha County Eye has identified as Castillo — was turned over to juvenile intake Monday night. Once that transfer occurs, Patton explained, law enforcement no longer has authority over or insight into custodial decisions, which move entirely into the juvenile court system.
When asked whether Kenosha police could continue maintaining officers outside every school throughout the day or on an ongoing basis, Patton said such a deployment is unsustainable, citing staffing limits and the significant cost it would impose on the department.
The comments underscore a key reality for parents: the extraordinary police presence seen Tuesday morning was temporary, not a permanent safeguard.
Meanwhile, Kenosha County Eye contacted Assistant District Attorney Tricia Riley, who is the Juvenile prosecutor, seeking confirmation of Castillo’s custodial status. Riley refused to provide any information, reiterating her position that the public does not need — and should not — know the custodial status of juveniles, even in cases involving credible threats of mass violence. Riley’s response was hostile in tone and included language discouraging any disclosure.
As a result, no one in authority is publicly confirming where Donavon Castillo is right now. The only entity that can definitively say whether he is in custody is the Kenosha County District Attorney’s Office, and it is not disclosing his location. No other official — including Superintendent Jeff Weiss or the Kenosha Police Department — is in a position to say with certainty where Castillo is, because they simply do not know. Kenosha County Eye does not know either.
That distinction matters. Earlier statements suggesting certainty about Castillo’s detention status are not supported by how the juvenile justice system actually operates, where custody decisions are confidential and controlled by juvenile intake and the district attorney’s office.
Kenosha has faced similar transparency gaps before. In the case of Jaheem Wright, who brought a loaded gun to Indian Trail High School and threatened a shooting, the matter remained in juvenile court and largely out of public view. The same secrecy surrounded Cedric Bender, the juvenile accused of setting multiple vehicles on fire across Kenosha. Those cases eroded public trust and left parents wary of official reassurances that later proved incomplete.
For families deciding what to do, the difference between “was detained” and “is still detained” is not semantics. It is the difference between confidence and doubt.
Despite the visible police presence and repeated assurances, there is no public confirmation whether Donavon Castillo is in juvenile detention, on a Chapter 51 mental health hold, or potentially released. Juvenile intake decisions are confidential, and any court action occurs behind closed doors.
That uncertainty has fueled frustration among parents, many of whom told Kenosha County Eye they chose to keep their children home specifically because no one could say with certainty where the suspect was.
As of publication, Castillo’s custodial status remains unknown to the public, and the DA’s office has given no indication that will change. Kenosha County Eye will continue pressing for clarity and report any new information as it becomes available.
18 Responses
Have you gotten in touch with ktec? Have they implied any more safety precautions in their school since they were at target because once the dust settles, how would we know he wouldn’t try again without posting it on social media this time
Why doesn’t his mother tell his whereabouts! Take responsibility and address this city. Our fear is at an all time high because of your son!
No one would believe her if she did tell.
From a report I read, she was asking the police, when they came to pick him up this recent time, “please don’t do this”…. Like what…
It is likely the Assistant District Attorney is not disclosing the location of this juvenile at the specific direction of the actual District Attorney.
Has anyone asked him? Shouldn’t someone ask him? He is, from what I read in this page, the best district attorney ever.
Maybe he is not allowed to say anything since the kid is a minor
You are very likely correct. That is the reason why none of these officials are saying nothing. Why then, are some of these officials being vilified and others are not? Consistency is inportant.
narratives……narratives
Anyone who hires Assistant District Attorney Tricia Riley is NUTS she is a terrible attorney!
She is off her rocker
I think we are making this harder than it needs to be. You have the mother’s name and address, go see if he is there.
Your fear my ass if your children wouldn’t bully they haven’t zero things to be afraid of. Don’t be scared now. It starts in the home w
That would be a very bad idea tough guy. Your roll is to mind you’re business cause if you & your cracked out buddies show up to anyones home. You will get what you went looking for. This mother hasn’t done anything to anyone. She loves her child more than anything, her hurt hurts right now. She’d be justified in harming any stranger that invested in her child.
Felicia Swigert, she isn’t hard to find on Facebook.
No cops at Bullen at drop off this morning. None seen at pick up. Per child, no cops today, they were all at Bradford. Student said only 30 kids total in 7th grade today
There were no cops at either KUSD school I was at today. It was business as usual thankfully.
That district attorney from last year is dumb for only giving him 1 year in detention he needs to be locked up for good and learn his listen…. But I guess when u dont have kids u dont know how it feels to be a parent
He needs to be charged as an adult. He had his chance.