Crete police are revealing new information about a massive law enforcement response that resulted in one student being taken into custody on Wednesday afternoon.
According to authorities, police were notified of a firearm in a classroom at Crete-Monee High School on Wednesday afternoon. The school activated its safety protocols, and officers from numerous jurisdictions arrived to the scene.
While no gun was found, a student at the school admitted that they had joked about having a weapon, saying they “put a large comb” in their jacket pocket and then told another classmate that it was a firearm.
At the same time, school security received reports of a gunshot that occurred in the band room. Further investigation revealed that a student had “jumped on a milk carton” and it had created a loud noise, leading to confusion about the sound’s origins.
Ultimately, a lockdown was initiated at the school, but no weapons or ammunition was found.
As a result of the incident, a student is facing a felony charge, and is being held in a juvenile correctional facility, according to Crete police.
Officials said that social media enabled the spread of “false information” in the case, and that while no threat was ultimately found, it doesn’t mean there wasn’t a risk to students in the building.
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“In the end, there was no firearm or direct safety threat, however, that does not mean that harm was not done,” police said.
School is expected to proceed as normal on Thursday.
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