Several schools were placed on lockdown Monday morning amid an active police search for a suspect in Vernon Hills, police and school officials said.
Hawthorn District 73 Superintendent of Schools Pete Hannigan sent an alert to families Monday morning about a soft lockdown that went into effect at the district’s schools.
Hannigan said the Vernon Hills Police Department advised the district to go into soft lockdown due to police activity in the area.
“This measure is out of an abundance of caution, and is taken to ensure the safety of our students and staff,” Hannigan said.
All exterior school doors were locked and no entry or exit was allowed during the lockdown.
Students, teachers and staff continued typical indoor learning activities.
Hannigan asked parents to not attempt to pick up their children from school.
“We will provide an update and lift the soft lockdown once we have been advised by law enforcement that it is safe to do so,” Hannigan said.
“The safety and education of our students are our utmost priorities, and we are committed to keeping you informed about any developments,” he added.
The lockdowns were lifted at District 73 schools by 11:20 a.m. Monday.
Vernon Hills Deputy Police Chief Shannon Holubetz said the Libertyville and Mundelein police departments were searching for a suspect in the area of several District 73 schools.
“While the man was not known to be a threat to the schools, their staff, or students, schools were placed on a soft lockdown out of an abundance of caution,” Holubetz told Lake and McHenry County Scanner.
Holubetz said the Vernon Hills Police Department is not the primary agency on the case and additional details were not available for release.