According to the St. Cloud Police Department, a nine-year-old student has been identified as the main suspect in a Westwood Elementary School fire that took place last week. 

Given the suspect’s age, investigators say there is nothing they can do to punish him since children under the age of 10 cannot be tried in court. 

That said, after the Stearns County Attorney’s Office reviews the case, alternate forms of punishment will be determined and put into place. 

The fire was reported to have started in one of the bathrooms on March 31, which led to evacuation to a nearby church while local firefighters extinguished the flames.  

Online learning followed for two consecutive days after the fire. However, the district later stated that the school would be closed for nearly two weeks to allow time for deep cleaning and air-quality restoration. 

No injuries were reported.