Officials say charges have been filed against a student who brought a gun to Highland Park High School Tuesday, prompting a SWAT team to respond and a lockdown at the school.
Highland Park Communications Manager Amanda Bennett said five students had been taken into custody.
One of them, a juvenile, has been charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and disorderly conduct. Their identity has not been released because they are under 18.
The other four have been released from custody after being questioned as potential witnesses, Bennett said.
“Further, it has been determined that there was not a plot by multiple individuals to engage in violence at the High School,” Bennett said Wednesday.
Highland Park Superintendent of Schools Bruce Law said that District 113 received an anonymous tip reporting a rumor of a student in possession of a gun Tuesday morning.
Highland Park High School reported the tip to law enforcement after receiving it.
The school began investigating the tip when additional students came forward to report seeing a student with a gun, Law said.
The Highland Park Police Department was already on the scene and advised school officials to go into lockdown.
“When police advised going into lockdown to facilitate their investigation, our faculty and staff sprang into action to assist students. Students remained calm. Parents and guardians, understandably anxious for the all-clear, waited patiently for a safe resolution,” Law said.
The student with the gun was then identified, Law said.
Security footage showed that he and another student had left the building.
Law enforcement conducted a sweep of the building while other police officers searched for the two students who had left the school.
Two students were arrested by police officers on the corner of Washington Avenue and Green Bay Road in Highwood, a source told Lake and McHenry County Scanner.
Three additional students were also taken into custody. A gun was recovered from one of the students who left the school.
The Northern Illinois Police Alarm System (NIPAS) Emergency Services Team was dispatched to the school to assist in clearing the building.
Police cleared the school and evacuated the students after the lockdown was lifted. Students were dismissed home early for the day.
“Safety is our number one priority, and once again, it was because students who had critical information shared that information with school staff that the school and police were able to respond so quickly to the situation,” Law said.
Soft lockdowns at City of Highland Park buildings, District 112 schools, District 113 schools, the Park District of Highland Park and the Highland Park Public Library were also lifted.
City officials said there were no reported shots fired and the investigation is continuing with the Highland Park Police Department and District 113.
Voting hours were extended to 8:35 p.m. at Braeside Elementary School, Red Oak Elementary School and Highland Park Public Library due to the incident.
All other polling locations in Highland Park closed as scheduled at 7 p.m.
The incident occurred the same morning students had planned to walk out of school to protest for gun control.
The walkout was planned for 10:14 a.m., which is when shots first rang out at the Fourth of July parade shooting in Highland Park last year,
ABC7 Chicago reported the Highland Park students were demanding a ban on “assault weapons.”
School walkouts and protests in Nashville took place Monday morning, local news outlets reported.
Monday marked one week after a gunman walked into a private school in Nashville and shot multiple students and staff members.
Three staff members and three children died in the shooting. The shooter was fatally shot by police.
“As a society, we should drop everything and figure out a solution to this problem. Until we as a country figure out how to remove this scourge that is upon all of us, we need to take care of each other – and ourselves,” Law said in a message to parents.
Classes resumed Wednesday at the high school and counselors are being made available to students who need them.
“Highland Park High School students are to be commended for their composure under pressure and their calm, measured response to this incident, which greatly assisted law enforcement and school leadership in swiftly securing the high school campus,” Bennett said.
“The City also appreciates the patience and understanding of parents while Highland Park High School was locked down to allow law enforcement the ability to fully investigate incident. The City will continue to partner with Township High School District 113 and all government entities serving Highland Park to support public safety initiatives through close collaboration and support services,” she added.