A Crystal Lake Central student was detained, and an investigation is underway, after the juvenile posted a video while holding a rifle on social media, officials said.
Crystal Lake Deputy Police Chief Thomas Kotlowski said a School Resource Officer attending the Crystal Lake Central Homecoming Football game Friday was alerted by a parent/guardian from the opposing school of a social media posting created by a Central student.
It was reported that the student posted a video of themselves holding a suspected rifle and a magazine containing firearm ammunition, Kotloski said.
No words were spoken in the video, Kotlowski said, and no text was displayed.
There was also no direct threat made towards anyone, Kotlowski said.
The officer, working with other Crystal Lake Police Officers staffing the game, located the juvenile at the event and detained them for further questioning, Kotlowski said.
The subsequent investigation revealed the video was taken weeks prior at a location away from any school property, Kotlowski said.
The weapon in the video was found to be real and owned by a family member the juvenile did not live with.
After an extensive investigation, Crystal Lake Police Detectives determined the juvenile did not have any weapons in their possession, nor did they have access to any weapons.
The weapon displayed in the social media posting was secured with the assistance of an outside agency in the jurisdiction where the weapon owner resides, Kotlowski said.
Kotlowski added that there is no known threat to the public or school, and police worked closely with Community High School District 155 staff to ensure they were aware of the investigation, Kotlowski said.
“We applaud the actions of the juvenile(s) who alerted their parent(s)/guardian(s) who then immediately alerted the SRO and encourage continued trust and communication to help ensure the safety of everyone,” Kotlowski said.
He said that, because the case involves a juvenile, no further information will be available.
This event remains under investigation by the Crystal Lake Police Department, Kotlowski said, and anyone with information related to this event is asked to contact the Crystal Lake Police Department at (815) 356-3620 or through their anonymous tip line by texting the word CLPDTIP to 847411 (tip411).