Police say they are investigating after a social media post circulating Friday morning referenced a threat of violence toward a student at a middle school in Antioch.
The Antioch Police Department said they were aware of a social media post circulating Friday morning that references a “potential safety concern” at one of the community schools.
The department, including the school resource officer assigned to the district, is actively working with the school district to address the situation.
“At this time, there is no cause for concern in our schools in connection with this post. We remain committed to ensuring the safety and security of our students, staff, and schools,” Antioch Police Chief Geoffrey Guttschow said.
“As your Police Chief, I want to reaffirm my commitment to the safety of our schools and to our ongoing partnership with the Antioch school districts,” Guttschow said.
Antioch CCSD 34 Superintendent Aron Borowiak sent a message to families that the safety concern report was at Antioch Upper Grade School.
Borowiak said the school administration and police determined that there is “no cause for concern” but he did not explain further on the situation.
“While we understand the anxiety that such rumors can cause, I want to emphasize that there are no safety concerns at the school,” he said.
A screenshot obtained by Lake and McHenry County Scanner showed a user post a screenshot of a conversation from a Snapchat group chat to an Antioch Facebook group page.
The user who shared the Snapchat conversation said there was a threat to a student at Antioch Upper Grade School and there may be an armed student in the building.
The screenshot of the Snapchat group chat showed a user saying, “We will kill [name] we are going to bring a knife tomorrow.” The Snapchat user also said, “She is a dumb b–ch.”
“Each district is served by a dedicated, full-time School Resource Officer who works closely with school officials to maintain a safe learning environment for everyone. We will continue to investigate the situation and provide updates if necessary,” Guttschow said.
Borowiak said the district remains vigilant in ensuring the safety of both students and staff and takes all concerns seriously.
“This situation also provides an opportunity to remind our students about the importance of responsible communication and to encourage them to bring any concerns directly to a trusted adult, whether at home or at school,” Borowiak said.