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Sheriff says rapid multiagency response kept students safe after school shooting report
Summary
Sheriff Jonner told the council that deputies and school resource officers were on scene within minutes after a shooting report; the school was locked down, the suspect was located within hours and agencies debriefed communication methods to improve parent messaging in future incidents.
Sheriff Johnner and West Fargo partners briefed the Horace City Council on April 20 about the law enforcement response to a recent shooting incident near a middle school.
The sheriff outlined the timeline: dispatch received a call in the 9:46 a.m. window, deputies and a school resource officer arrived and the school was locked down within minutes. "Deputy Keller was on scene at 09:50," the sheriff said, describing rapid initial arrivals and coordinated multi-agency response that included K-9 and drone assets and the metro area street crimes unit.
Sheriff Johnner said the office deliberately limited broad community alerts during the active phase to avoid drawing crowds and to preserve communications capacity while investigators focused on containment and evidence preservation. He said investigators executed search warrants and had the suspect in custody within hours; he urged residents to sign up for county emergency notifications and to rely on official channels for verified updates.
The sheriff and West Fargo police officers praised school resource officers, school staff and emergency responders for coordinated training and quick action. Council members thanked responders for their speed and professionalism and asked staff to work on clearer community messaging about why lockdown durations may vary.
