A teenage boy faces felony weapons charges after he allegedly threatened a fellow student said he would "shoot up" his suburban high school, the DuPage County State’s Attorney and Darien Police Department announced Wednesday.
The boy, a 16-year-old Hinsdale South High School student, appeared in juvenile court Wednesday morning before DuPage County Judge Michael Wolfe who ordered the boy be held following a detention hearing. The teen is charged with possession of an explosive or incendiary device, unlawful use of a weapon, possession of firearms without a FOID card and disorderly conduct.
"He put it on social media, that's his fault," said student Kurian Joy.
The threat of what prosecutors say the student called a "Southocaust" is what caught the attention of authorities.
“We take any threat to the safety and security of our students and teachers very seriously,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert B. Berlin said in a statement. “Students and teachers alike must not fear for their safety at school. With fear in our classrooms, teachers can’t teach and students can’t learn. First and foremost, I want to thank the young man who came forward and brought these alleged threats to our attention. Sometimes it can take a tremendous amount of courage to do the right thing. Thanks to this brave, responsible young man, a horrible tragedy may have been averted.”
According to prosecutors, on Oct. 3 a Hinsdale South student alleged the teen had made a threatening post on Snapchat toward another student. Authorities “obtained consent to search” the boy’s home where, according to a news release, they found several guns, ammunition, paper shooting targets, explosives, knives, brass knuckles and gas masks. The boy was then taken into custody without incident, authorities said.
“My first thought was obviously just with the amount of stuff that they found, was kind of how he was able to get ahold of all that stuff,” said student Colton Kotecki, recalling his reaction to the news of the stockpile of weapons.
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In a statement, Stephanie Palmer, principal of Hinsdale South, said the threat was made by two students. Palmer also said there was no threat to the school and that it would remain open during regular hours.
“This case epitomizes the need for parents to be involved and to monitor their children’s social media use,” Darien Police Chief Greg Thomas said in a statement.
The boy is due back in court on Oct. 19.
An investigation was ongoing. Anyone with information regarding this matter is asked to call the Darien Police tip line at 630-353-8150.
