Highland Park officials say one juvenile has been charged and a gun recovered after reports Tuesday of a student possibly in possession of a gun forced lockdowns at the city's high school and several other buildings.
In a release Wednesday, the city said police responded to a report from Highland Park High School indicating a student brought a handgun into the school building Tuesday.
"As a result of the police investigation, a handgun was recovered offsite and one juvenile was apprehended, taken into custody, and charged with possession of a firearm in a school and disorderly conduct," the city said.
Earlier, authorities had noted that five students were taken into custody following the incident, but declined to offer details on why. Now, the city said those five students "were taken into custody for the purpose of being questioned by police as potential witnesses."
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The city noted that an investigation found "there was not a plot by multiple individuals to engage in violence at the high school."
"The swift response from Highland Park law enforcement, partner agencies, and Township High School District 113 staff was facilitated by the prompt reporting of concerns from students through the established process at the high school," the city said, commending students "for their composure under pressure and their calm, measured response to this incident, which greatly assisted law enforcement and school leadership in swiftly securing the high school campus."
The incident sparked lockdowns at the high school, but also at a number of other district school and the Highland Park Public Library.
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The situation unfolded just after 11 a.m. when the city of Highland Park issued an alert stating "please be advised of a heavy police presence at Highland Park High School."
Lake County Clerk Anthony Vega noted that lockdowns were also reported at Braeside Elementary School, Red Oak Elementary School and the Highland Park Library, halting "all voter services" at those locations. Voting hours at those locations were later extended to 8:35 p.m. as a result of the delays.
Some schools and childcare centers in neighboring towns and villages, including Glencoe, were also placed on "soft lockdown" out of an "abundance of caution," emails to families in those districts showed.
In an 11:30 a.m. emailed update to families in District 113, superintendent Bruce Law said that the school received "an anonymous tip reporting a rumor of a student in possession of a gun."
"Immediately following the report of that tip, Highland Park High School reported the tip to law enforcement," the email reads. "As Highland Park High School began investigating the tip, another student came forward to report seeing a student with a gun. At that point, Highland Park Police Department was already on the scene and advised HPHS to go into lockdown."
The email adds that the student alleged to have a gun was identified, and that security footage indicated that "he and another student had left the building," but both were eventually apprehended.
By 12:30 p.m., students were seen being released from the school. At that time, the city said the lockdown had been lifted at Highland Park High School, as well as other buildings in the area, and five students had been taken into custody.
Highland Park's mayor spoke out Tuesday, hours after the situation unfolded, thanking first responders and district staff for their handling of the incident, but noted how troubling it was for the community that suffered a mass shooting less than one year ago.
"On behalf of the Highland Park community, we share our deepest appreciation for today’s excellent work by the Highland Park Police Department and our neighboring law enforcement agencies, who immediately provided mutual aid. We are also grateful for the leadership of Township High School District 113 administration and staff, and government partners at North Shore School District 112, the Park District of Highland Park, and Highland Park Public Library in responding to this incident," Nancy Rotering said in a statement. "While we were so relieved that the event ended without incident, once again, our community was terrorized by the threat of gun violence."
She urged residents who may seek trauma support to call 211 for assistance.
"We must continue to work towards a time when we can live free from the threat of gun violence," Rotering said. "Those who can, need to take action now, so that our students can go to school without fear of random gun violence. Wherever and whenever they occur, every lockdown, every drill takes a toll on our children and our communities."
