Staff members prevent potential Wisconsin elementary school shooting, leading to teen arrest.

A 13-year-old boy was arrested after trying to enter an elementary school in Kenosha, Wisconsin, with a gun on Thursday morning, but was scared off by a staff member, police said.

A boy with a backpack entered a secured school area at around 9 a.m. on Thursday, according to the Kenosha Police Department.

A school staff member approached the boy, prompting him to flee. In response, all schools in the Kenosha Unified School District (KUSD) were placed on hold, with no one allowed to enter or exit the buildings.

During a press conference, police announced that they had received several tips about the suspect's whereabouts, which led them to locate the 13-year-old KUSD student. The responding officers convinced the teenager to surrender before he was arrested.

A video shared by police during a press conference shows the arrested teenager holding a rifle inside a home.

The video depicts the teenager performing "room entry techniques," according to officials.

Before Thursday's incident, the teen had searched for school shootings on the internet.

"According to Kenosha Police Chief Patrick Patton, the suspect was armed with a firearm and there was no legitimate reason for entering the school. However, the quick and diligent actions of the school staff prevented the individual from fully entering the school."

The teen tried to enter the elementary school several times, checking various doors and entrances before reaching the secured entry, as stated by KUSD Superintendent Jeff Weiss to reporters.

Weiss stated that the school staff and families share a common fear of experiencing a potential school shooting today.

Roosevelt was constructed to evacuate students in case of a fire, not to address contemporary school challenges like shootings, as Weiss highlighted.

In a letter to the school community, Weiss informed parents that the district's safety work had prevented any further tragedy.

Weiss stated that our staff, students, and law enforcement partners frequently review, plan, and drill for incidents like the one that occurred at Roosevelt Elementary School this morning. We take this matter seriously. We are grateful for the secured entrance at Roosevelt Elementary School, which prevented easy access to the building and protected our students and staff. We are also thankful for our staff who bravely stopped the individual and asked questions that caused them to question their actions and flee.

"We are grateful for the law enforcement agencies that increased their presence around our schools, not only in Kenosha Unified but across the county. We are also grateful for our staff who continue to work with our students throughout the day, providing as much normalcy as possible despite their own fears. Lastly, we are thankful for our families who trusted us to collaborate with law enforcement to ensure the safety of their children."