Debbie

Suicidal boy, 15, fires about 100 shots from inside his Hudson home during police standoff; no one hit by rounds
No one hit by rounds; teen was home alone
BY ELIZABETH MOHR and MARICELLA MIRANDA
Pioneer Press
TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press
Article Last Updated:10/20/2007 11:16:13 PM CDT

An armed standoff between a teenage boy and police ended without serious injury Saturday morning after the boy fired about 100 shots from inside a home in an upscale Hudson, Wis., neighborhood.

The standoff began about 9 p.m. Friday at 269 Troon Court, which is nestled in the middle of the 18-hole Troy Burne Golf Club, about five miles south of Hudson.

The 15-year-old boy waited until his parents left to see a movie and then called a couple of his friends, threatening suicide, said St. Croix County Sheriff Dennis Hillstead, who declined to identify the youth. The boy, a ninth-grader, was alone in the house.

"He talked to them about how he was tired of his life," Hillstead said.

The boy's friends could hear gunshots in the background, which led them to call police.

When officers arrived at the house, they also heard shots being fired from inside the home, which is in a cul-de-sac, Hillstead said. As a precaution, police took shelter and called for reinforcements. Several nearby homes were evacuated.

The standoff lasted more than three hours, while the boy fired shots from inside the home. He was armed with two shotguns, a .22-caliber pistol and plenty of ammunition, according to the sheriff's office.

Of the 100 or so shots fired, police believe 30 to 50 went through the home's windows. None of the neighboring homes were hit. Officers did not return fire.

"It became fairly apparent that what he was doing was not directing fire at officers," Hillstead said. "It appears that he did shoot above the surrounding homes."

The shots caused extensive damage to the interior of the home, in addition to shattering most of the main floor windows. A damage estimate was not available Saturday.

Police contacted the teenager by having his friends call the house, Hillstead said. Officers were able to persuade him to surrender about 12:30 a.m.

When the boy left the house, he left behind a trail of blood. He was barefoot in the home and was cut by the broken glass.

"He had cuts on his hands that were bleeding quite profusely. And his feet were cut as well, " Hillstead said.

Paramedics rushed him to Hudson Hospital, but he was later transferred to the Mendota Mental Health Institute in Madison, Wis., for a 72-hour emergency hold for mental evaluation.

While the family was away from home Saturday afternoon, neighbors quietly swept the glass from the front porch. Though they did not wish to be identified, the neighbors described the boy as a "good kid." The incident is shocking and uncharacteristic, they said.

The boy likely will face felony charges for reckless endangerment and criminal damage to property, Hillstead said.

The family could not be reached for comment.

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