Two students were taken into custody after videos surfaced Thursday of them flashing what turned out to be a BB gun inside the Waukegan High School Washington Campus.
Waukegan Deputy Police Chief Joe Florip said his department was notified around 8:45 a.m. Thursday about social media posts that showed two individuals with a gun inside the Waukegan High School Washington Campus, located at 1011 Washington Street.
The incident prompted the school to go on lockdown Thursday morning, according to a message sent to parents by Waukegan Community Unit School District 60.
The school district said they worked with police to quickly identify the subjects involved.
Police responded to the school where they were able to take the two students into custody.
A video posted on Facebook from Snapchat shows multiple officers entering a classroom and taking one of the students into custody.
The officers are seen directing students out of the classroom and into the hallway.
Florip said officers transported the two students involved to the Waukegan Police Department for further investigation.
The investigation determined the two students entered the school after school hours Wednesday evening during an athletic event, Florip said.
The videos and photos the two students posted on their Snapchat accounts were actually of a BB gun, not a real gun. Florip said the BB gun was recovered off-campus on Thursday.
The incident is being reviewed with the Robert W. Depke Juvenile Complex Center to determine if charges will be filed.
The students have since been released from police custody to their parents, Florip said.
“We want to ensure that all parents understand that any real or perceived threat to our school is taken seriously and investigated thoroughly. The school district continues to investigate this incident, and we will be working to immediately institute additional safety protocols for all visitors during after school events,” the school district said in a statement.
District mental health support team members will be available for students and staff tomorrow at all high school campuses.