DANE COUNTY (WKOW) -- A former Monona Grove School District student was charged Tuesday with felony terrorist threats after authorities say the student said they'd harm students at a high school.
Authorities said at least two tips about Emma Hardiman, 18, came through the Wisconsin Department of Justice's Speak Up, Speak Out portal. The site in the Office of School Safety allows tipsters to anonymously submit information on potential school threats for evaluation by safety experts 24/7.
Court records state Hardiman was at the school Sunday and used a photo of it as a backdrop to two Snapchat posts. Records state Hardiman was armed with a knife in the posts and said they "maybe become the next shooter." Authorities also said Hardiman told police they were motivated to make threats in response to being bullied.
During a court hearing, Hardiman's attorney Assistant State Public Defender Shawn O'Connell argued the threats were vague, appeared to target individuals as opposed to the school, lacked an action plan and were the product of a person who needed help.
But Court Commissioner Jason Hanson said the posts appeared thought out and represented a "ramping up" of Hardiman's behavior after they were accused earlier this year of using rocks to break car windows in Cottage Grove, seemingly at random. These property crime charges also include what authorities said was resisting police in a later incident.
Hanson set Hardiman's bail at $1,500 and barred them from the school's property, unless their presence was specifically okayed by the school district's superintendent.
Hardiman was arrested Sunday by Cottage Grove Police officers after the tips were received.
"This report of concerning behavior to Speak Up, Speak Out, and the subsequent action steps by law enforcement and school officials to keep the school safe, prevented violence and trauma for students and families," said Office of School Safety Director Trish Kilpin.
Kiplin said noticing these worrying behaviors that show someone is on a "pathway to violence" allows authorities to intervene when it matters.
"We are grateful to the thousands of students that use Speak Up, Speak Out each year, reporting concerns to Speak Up, Speak Out, which results in safer school communities," Kilpin said.
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