A man has been taken into custody following the circulation of a video filmed outside a high school that led four southeastern Minnesota school districts to implement security lockdowns on Thursday. The Dodge County Sheriff's Office confirmed the arrest of Daniel James Lewison on Thursday evening.
The incident prompted a multi-agency law enforcement response after the video, which contained threats directed at officials, was posted on social media. While the video was recorded at Byron High School, authorities stated there were no direct threats made against students or school staff.
Key Takeaways
- Daniel James Lewison was arrested Thursday evening in connection with a video that caused widespread concern.
- Four school districts—Byron, Hayfield, Kasson-Mantorville, and Triton—initiated lockdowns as a safety precaution.
- Law enforcement officials clarified that the threats in the video were aimed at police, attorneys, and judges, not at the school community.
- The video was determined to have been recorded on a previous day and was not a live broadcast.
Widespread School Security Measures
On Thursday morning, school administrators in four districts acted on law enforcement advice to secure their buildings. The Byron district was the first to implement a soft lockdown around 9:20 a.m. after the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office (OCSO) learned of the video.
Shortly after, other districts followed suit. Hayfield Public Schools entered a secure lockdown at approximately 10:05 a.m., and the Kasson-Mantorville and Zumbro Education Districts were advised to lock down at 9:42 a.m. The Triton School District also confirmed it had taken similar protective measures.
Superintendent Nate Walbruch of Byron Public Schools stated the decision was made out of an "abundance of caution" and emphasized there was no immediate danger to the school. Most lockdowns were lifted by early afternoon after authorities located the individual involved.
The Law Enforcement Investigation
The investigation began after the Dodge County Sheriff's Office alerted the OCSO to a "potential concerning incident." The focus was a video posted to Facebook showing a man, later identified as 55-year-old Daniel James Lewison, speaking outside Byron High School.
During a press conference, Olmsted County Sheriff Kevin Torgerson provided details about the content of the video.
"The video made some threats towards law enforcement officers, attorneys, judges and counties in general, basically saying he was coming after them," Sheriff Torgerson said. "One thing that was notable was it was in front of a school."
Sheriff Torgerson stressed that no schools, students, or staff were named in the threats. The primary concern for law enforcement was the video's location and the nature of the statements made against the justice system.
Video Was Not Live
Investigators quickly determined that the video was not being broadcast live on Thursday. Evidence suggested it was likely recorded two days earlier, on Tuesday, which helped law enforcement assess the immediate level of risk to the school.
Identifying and Locating the Suspect
Authorities in Dodge County, who had previous interactions with Lewison, were able to identify him as the person in the video. An investigative effort was launched to determine his whereabouts.
"We sought then to try to find him and locate him through investigative measures," Sheriff Torgerson explained. Initial efforts tracked Lewison to a location in Iowa, and local law enforcement there was contacted to make contact with him.
Though he was located, he was not immediately taken into custody. The Olmsted County Sheriff's Office noted earlier in the day that the Department of Corrections had initially denied placing him in custody, as he was on probation.
Arrest Made in Dodge County
The situation concluded when the Dodge County Sheriff's Office announced Lewison's arrest. He was taken into custody at 6:03 p.m. on Thursday by Dodge County deputies and the West Concord Police Department.
In a statement, the Dodge County Sheriff's Office affirmed its commitment to school safety, stating it will always put the safety of schools, staff, and students first whenever "there is even the slightest safety risk." The office also thanked its partner agencies for their collaboration.
The specific charges Lewison will face have not yet been announced. The Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office has indicated it will refer charges related to its part of the investigation to the Olmsted County Attorney’s Office.
Heightened Awareness in the Region
This incident occurred shortly after unrelated threatening calls were made to Rochester Catholic Schools earlier in the month. Authorities later determined those calls originated from overseas and were not credible, but such events have increased awareness and caution regarding school security throughout the region.
