The Waukegan High School Brookside Campus was put on lockdown and police responded following a report of a student armed with a knife threatening others Friday, officials said.
School officials sent a message to staff and parents informing them the school was placed on hard lockdown.
All students were safe and the Waukegan Police Department responded.
The hard lockdown, which began around 12 p.m. Friday, was transitioned to a soft lockdown with minimized student movement.
Waukegan High School Brookside Campus Principal Avelira Rodriguez Gonzalez said in an updated message to parents that the lockdown was initiated due to a report of a student who brandished what appeared to be a knife.
The student also allegedly threatened classmates.
The school was placed on lockdown while staff and police spoke with the reporting students and worked to locate the student accused of having the weapon.
The suspected student was located a short while later and was searched, Rodriguez Gonzalez said.
No weapon was located and no one was injured during the incident.
The school shifted to a modified schedule with a staggered dismissal. The soft lockdown continued as a precaution.
“We want to thank everyone for their patience and care during today’s lockdown. We understand the early stages of any crisis can be confusing and frightening, as we work to secure an area and conduct a thorough investigation,” Rodriguez Gonzalez said.
The school district’s mental health response team was made available for students and staff for the remainder of the day in the Brookside library.
The team will be made available again on Monday in the student support services office.
“We want to thank the staff for their support during this incident and also commend the students who brought this information forward,” Rodriguez Gonzalez said.
“All students are urged to immediately report any situations they may encounter at school, as well as on their way to and from school, which they consider to be suspicious, or unsafe, and we would like to commend the student in this incident for immediately notifying an adult,” Rodriguez Gonzalez added.
The principal reminded students and parents that any weapons, look-alike weapons and toy weapons are not permitted on school grounds, buses and bus stops.