Parents in a suburban Chicago school district are demanding metal detectors and additional security measures after they said a student at Nathan Hales Middle School in Crestwood was found with a gun.
The school was placed on a hard lockdown Wednesday morning during the incident.
The district sent an email to parents about a possible weapon, but some parents told NBC 5 there’s more to the story. The parents accused the district of withholding information and not alerting them about the situation until hours later.
Jessica Garces said her husband was inside the building at the time of the lockdown.
"At 11:26, he texted me and said we are on a hard lockdown," Garces said. "He did say there is a student with a gun, for sure."
Parents told NBC 5 they learned about what was happening from their children and social media apps. NBC 5 reached out to the school district, Crestwood police and the mayor, but our calls were not returned.
“We are angry. Parents are angry right now,” said parent Ashley Benson.
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“Yesterday could have been a lot worse," said parent Natasha Garcia. "Thank God for kids who said something."
Police were back at the school on Thursday, but some parents, including those calling for metal detectors, more security and better communication, said their kids won’t return until changes are made.
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“The district high schools just installed them over spring break, and we want better communication when these incidents do occur,” said parent Cari Conway.