A warrant has been issued for a male suspect who authorities say forced his way into a Waukegan middle school and strangled a teacher while accompanied by a female suspect.
The Waukegan Police Department and Waukegan Fire Department responded around 7:12 a.m. on May 23 to John Lewis Middle School, 600 South Lewis Avenue, for a report of a battery.
Waukegan Deputy Police Chief Scott Chastain said officers learned that an aunt of a student and an adult male arrived at the school.
Angel S. Terry, 29, of Waukegan, intended to confront another student about a previous altercation with her niece, Chastain said.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Emma Smoler said the previous altercation had involved Terry’s niece allegedly being struck by the student.
School staff attempted to stop Terry and the male, who attempted to enter the building via an unauthorized entrance, but were battered by them in the process, Smoler said.
Smoler said a teacher was strangled and slammed to the ground by the male suspect, identified on Wednesday as Devin D. Smith, 30, of Waukegan.
Terry and Smith made it into the school where Terry battered a student by punching him in the face, Chastain said.
A staff member and teacher were both injured. The student was uninjured.
Terry and Smith fled the scene in a blue Nissan before police arrived, Chastain said.
Officers responded to a location in Waukegan and located the suspect vehicle, a blue 2015 Nissan, along with Terry.
Terry was arrested and refused to cooperate with officers in the investigation, Chastain said.
She was charged with aggravated battery to a school employee, battery causing bodily harm and battery making physical contact.
Smoler said the teacher battered by Terry positively identified the woman as the suspect during a show-up.
Smith was charged with three counts of aggravated battery, which are all felonies.
“We want to commend staff for their handling of today’s incident. They responded immediately upon seeing unknown individuals attempting to enter the building, and they worked to protect our students from harm,” co-principals Molly Schaefer and Amanda Nault said in a message to parents.
School officials called the situation “disturbing and disappointing.”
“As a school community we expect our Lewis students to behave themselves in a respectful and responsible manner. Needless to say, we expect the same from our visiting adults as well. As adults we must do a better job of modeling appropriate behavior for our children,” the message said.
Lake County Judge Theodore Potkonjak ordered Terry held on a $200,000 bond. He also barred the woman from having any contact with the victims or being on Waukegan School District 60 property.
Terry remains held in the Lake County Jail and would need to post $20,000 cash in order to be released.
Smith has not been arrested yet and a warrant, which was issued Tuesday, remains active.