Police say they have arrested a child who made a bomb threat on TikTok that prompted a heavy police response and full search of Wauconda High School, which had students and staff inside, Wednesday evening.
Wauconda High School Principal Jamie Born sent an “important safety update” to families of Wauconda Community Unit School District 118 on Wednesday evening.
The Wauconda Police Department notified the school district just after 8 p.m. Wednesday about a TikTok video containing a possible threat toward Wauconda High School, Born said.
“The safety of our students and staff is our top priority. District administrators are working directly with the Wauconda Police Department and local authorities to fully investigate this post and secure our building,” the principal said.
Wauconda Police Department Sgt. Heather Cognac said the police department received a report of a bomb threat made on TikTok around 7:42 p.m., at which time there were students and staff participating in extracurricular activities inside the school.
Another update from the school was sent to families following a further investigation into the threat.
Officers quickly evacuated the small number of students and staff who were in the building.
Cognac said officers and detectives simultaneously began investigating the source and credibility of the threat.
The Wauconda Police Department thoroughly searched the high school and confirmed there was no credible threat.
Born said police cleared the facility and returned operational control to District 118. The school was open on a normal schedule Thursday.
Neighboring law enforcement agencies assisted Wauconda police officers in conducting a full search of the premises for unauthorized people and explosives.
The Wauconda Fire District also stood by at the scene and bomb-sniffing canine units were called.
Officers found nothing dangerous or suspicious during the sweep, Cognac said.
“Out of an abundance of caution, you will see an increased police presence on campus tomorrow morning to ensure a smooth and safe start to the day,” Born said.
Detectives continued their investigation throughout the evening and into Thursday morning and were able to identify a juvenile suspect responsible for the social media post, Cognac said.
The juvenile was taken into custody and charged with disorderly conduct.
“The Wauconda Police Department takes all threats involving schools seriously. While no explosive device or other physical threat was located, every reported threat requires an immediate and thorough law enforcement response to ensure the safety of students, staff, and the community,” Cognac said.
Police say threats made through social media are investigated seriously and may result in criminal charges, even when the person responsible does not intend for the threat to be carried out.
The account that posted the threat was named “John Anderlik,” which is the name of a District 118 teacher who was arrested last week and charged with distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material, with prosecutors saying he expressed to an online user how his job was “perfect” for his desire to engage in sex acts with children.
The imposter account named after the teacher featured his booking photo as the account’s profile photo. The account appears to have since been removed from the social media platform.
“We are deeply grateful to the Wauconda Police Department for their swift response and continued partnership in keeping our schools safe,” Born said.