Classes have resumed as normal at a high school in Lake Villa but with extra police patrols after a lockdown was issued due to an “alarming” email that indicated the sender had homicidal thoughts.
Lakes Community High School Principal Jori Bowen sent a message to the school community on Friday morning announcing that Lakes Community High School in Lake Villa was placed on soft lockdown.
Bowen said the lockdown was a precaution due to an email received at the school and that the Lake Villa Police Department and the school’s tech department were investigating.
“Police have informed us that in recent weeks, schools across the region and nation have experienced an increase in spam and ‘catfishing’ emails that attempt to disrupt normal operations. While many of these turn out to be non-credible, we take each one seriously until it is fully investigated,” Bowen said.
The lockdown was lifted on Friday afternoon and after school plans were altered due to the situation.
Students had to exit the building through the main entrance at dismissal and were not permitted to re-enter after leaving.
All after-school activities, including club meetings and on-campus athletic and activity practices, were canceled on Friday.
Bowen said in an update on Saturday that classes, activities and after-school events were resuming as normal. “I am proud of the responsible way our students and staff responded yesterday, and grateful for the strength of our community in moments like these.”
Other neighboring schools also reportedly went on lockdown on Friday.
Lake Villa Deputy Police Chief James DeCaro said Tuesday the email contained “alarming content” and indicated the sender had homicidal thoughts.
The email lacked detailed information and also did not target any specific person or group.
The Lake Villa Police Department launched an investigation in collaboration with school officials and other law enforcement agencies to identify the origin of the threat.
The email was designed to appear as though it originated from an overseas VPN address, adding complexity to the investigation, DeCaro said.
“The safety and security of students, staff, and the community is the top priority for the Lake Villa Police Department,” he said.
Additional patrols had been deployed to the school campus as a precautionary measure to enhance security and reassure the community.
Anyone who has information relating to the investigation is asked to call the Lake Villa Police Department at 847-356-6106.