Officials say District 47 schools were placed on “secure” protocol after a resident called 911 to report a person was possibly armed with a knife in Crystal Lake Thursday morning.
Crystal Lake School District 47 said around 9:35 a.m. Thursday that the Crystal Lake Police Department placed some district schools in a “secure” action due to police activity.
“No one can enter or leave, but normal activities continue inside. There is no known threat to the schools,” the district said to parents.
Crystal Lake Deputy Police Chief Richard Neumann said officers were dispatched to the area of Berkshire Drive and Northampton Drive for a report of a suspicious person.
A resident in the area reported that they observed a person walking eastbound who was possibly armed with a knife.
The area schools, Coventry Elementary School and Canterbury Elementary School, were notified as a precautionary measure due to the nature of the complaint, Neumann said.
A thorough search of the surrounding area was conducted and officers located the subject.
Neumann said officers determined the item the person was carrying was a pencil and not a knife.
“There is no known threat to the public at this time. This event is still being investigated by the Crystal Lake Police Department,” Neumann said.
A woman said it was her autistic son who was involved in the incident.
“You will see him hop, walk fast and some sort of run he does. He also always carried a fidget typically a pen which with the reflection of the light may shine and be mistaken for a knife like today’s incident,” she said, adding, “He is not a danger to the community.”