Rathdrum teen charged after alleged school shooting threat
KAYE THORNBRUGH | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 10 months, 1 week AGO
Kaye Thornbrugh is a second-generation Kootenai County resident who has been with the Coeur d’Alene Press for six years. She primarily covers Kootenai County’s government, as well as law enforcement, the legal system and North Idaho College. | February 21, 2025 1:00 AM
COEUR d’ALENE — Police arrested a teen who allegedly made threats to shoot others at school.
Xander T. Walker, 18, of Rathdrum, is charged with threatening violence on school grounds, a misdemeanor.
The charge stems from Feb. 4, when police received a tip that Walker had allegedly threatened to carry out a shooting at Venture Academy or a different school in the region, according to court records.
Venture Academy was placed on a “modified safety hold” around 10 a.m. that day, in response to the report. Other schools within the Coeur d’Alene School District and schools within Lakeland Joint School District 272 were also placed on safety holds, which required students and staff to remain inside school buildings while teaching and learning activities continued as usual.
Walker was searched upon arrival to campus and no weapons were found, according to a statement issued by Venture Academy the day of the incident. The safety hold was lifted after he was taken into custody “without incident.”
A judge issued a $100,000 warrant for Walker’s arrest Feb. 5. Coeur d’Alene police arrested him late Wednesday afternoon.
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