A large police response was sent and a lockdown was issued after a panic alarm, which turned out to be a false alarm, was activated at Crystal Lake South High School Thursday evening.
The Crystal Lake Police Department responded around 6:11 p.m. Thursday to the Crystal Lake South High School, 1200 South McHenry Avenue in Crystal Lake, for a panic alarm activation.
Crystal Lake Deputy Police Chief Richard Neumann said officers immediately responded and secured the building within a short time.
An investigation found the alarm was activated by a staff member, who set it off accidentally.
“The Crystal Lake Police would like to thank the neighboring departments that responded to assist during this incident,” Neumann said.
Crystal Lake-based Community High School District 155 Superintendent Dr. Neil Lesinski sent a message to students and families about the situation.
Lesinski said the school’s emergency alert system, BluePoint, was activated inadvertently, which initiated lockdown procedures.
The Crystal Lake Police Department responded immediately and conducted a thorough sweep of the building in accordance with safety protocols.
Lesinski said it was determined that the alert was a false alarm and there was never a threat to any students or staff.
“We understand that this situation may have caused concern, and we sincerely apologize for any anxiety or inconvenience it created for our students, families, and staff,” Lesinski said.
“We appreciate the prompt response of the Crystal Lake Police Department and the cooperation of everyone involved as we worked to ensure the safety of our school community,” he added.