Former inmate’s school threats were made months ago

Man whose comments touched off firestorm now reportedly living in Lyons

By Vicky Wedig

Staff Writer

Threats made by a former Walworth County Jail inmate – who is now reportedly living in Lyons – to kill school children and himself touched off a firestorm of concern through social media late this week.

However, an area police official cautioned Friday that the threat was made three months ago and authorities looked into the matter at the time.

Delavan Police Chief Tim O’Neill said the information was legitimate – Colton Kayson Syverson, 25, formerly of Walworth, made comments to Walworth County Jail staff about killing himself in front of kids at a school to make a lasting memory for them. But, police said, Syverson made the comments while incarcerated in June, police investigated the matter then, Syverson was released Aug. 13 and police have had no contact with him since.

“It’s legit, but it was two (actually three) months ago,” O’Neill said. “It was investigated back in June, and it’s that old.”

He said the old information resurfaced on Facebook Thursday after fliers appeared in the Delavan and Walworth areas warning that Syverson made comments about killing students and himself.

“Bus companies and everybody else decided to take it as it just happened,” he said. “It’s an overreaction from the social media that took something and reprinted it that was quite old.”

The anonymous flier that was posted on Facebook was not generated from a police department. It was dated Sept. 17 and showed Syverson’s picture and the following information under the caption “Safety bulletin:”

“The subject pictured below lives in Walworth County, Wisconsin, and was recently released from jail. While confined, Colton made statements to jail staff of an interest in wanting to kill children and himself at a school as a way for people to remember him. If Colton is observed in and around your facility, please use caution and contact your local police department immediately if necessary.”

Delavan Assistant Police Chief James Hansen said police do not know who created the flier but suspect that it “went viral” from an employee at Dousman Transport, a bus company serving area schools.

“This got started with Facebook and went from there,” he said.

Hansen said Syverson made no specific threats to any specific schools.

Nevertheless, Delavan police met with principals in all Delavan-Darien schools to discuss the matter Thursday. Hansen said the level of concern is not as high as if the comments had been made recently.

“But being proactive, we made sure everybody knew that it existed,” O’Neill said.

Hansen said the department received several calls about the flier Thursday and a couple Friday morning.

“We’re going about our day and we’re checking our buildings like we normally do,” he said. “We’re communicating with schools as usual, (and telling them) if they need anything to give us a call.”

Syverson pleaded guilty Oct. 10 to three misdemeanor charges – resisting or obstructing an officer and two counts of making threatening or obscene computer messages. He received stayed sentences of 90 days in county jail with work-release privileges and two years’ probation on each count. Conditions of his probation include having no contact with the victim or Fontana Beach and its lifeguards.

The Wisconsin Circuit Court Automation Program lists Syverson’s address as Howard Street in Walworth, but Hansen said Syverson has reportedly moved from that address and is living with his mother in the Town of Lyons.