Terrorist charge for Sycamore middle schooler who threatened school shooting: Police

SYCAMORE – A Sycamore Middle School student has been charged with making a terrorist threat after police said the teenager threatened a school shooting in a Snapchat post Wednesday.

DeKalb County State’s Attorney Rick Amato confirmed the charge, a Class X felony, with Shaw Local News Network on Wednesday after Sycamore police released more information in the late afternoon. Amato said his office is working with the Sycamore Police Department.

In response to the social media post, police arrived at Sycamore Middle School about noon, before it was determined there was no credible threat, according to police and Sycamore School District 427 documents.

“A comprehensive investigation was conducted, and it was determined that the juvenile suspect did make a specific post about a school shooting, but there was no evidence that any violent act was imminent or thoroughly planned,” Sycamore police wrote.

Sycamore Police Chief Jim Winters said the student was taken into police custody and interviewed with their parents present Wednesday. The teen has since been released to their parents. Juvenile court records are not open to the public, and authorities have not identified the minor who is charged.

Sycamore police were tipped off about the Snapchat post about 11:40 a.m. Wednesday, which prompted police from DeKalb and Sycamore as well as DeKalb County sheriff’s deputies to respond immediately to Sycamore Middle School, 150 Maplewood Drive, authorities said. School administration helped find and isolate the student from others.

Wednesday marked the third time in four school days that district officials have responded to a purported threat to Sycamore schools.

On Friday, two Sycamore schools were placed under a brief soft lockdown after a Chicago man lied to police in a 911 call claiming to have seen someone in a Sycamore High School bathroom with a gun in order to divert police from finding him, court records allege. During the next school day, Sept. 16, a Snapchat on school shootings prompted increased police presence at Sycamore schools.

“Our response has continued to be the same in the fact that we’re going to treat all [threats] seriously,” Winters said, referring to an increase in violence against schools. “And we hope they continue to be discredited and not accurate threats, but we take them all seriously.”

Winters said Sycamore police also will continue to be present at District 427 schools.

“We have a presence at the schools. Typically throughout the day we do school patrols,” Winters said. “Sometimes they’re [officers] walking through the building, sometimes they’re in the vicinity or on the grounds. School patrols will continue.”

Before the charge was announced, District 427 Superintendent Steve Wilder emailed parents to inform them of the threat.

District officials were made aware of the Snapchat post, and “due to the nature of the post,” Sycamore police felt it was necessary to instantly contact district officials, Wilder wrote.

“The student was immediately identified at school, and with the involvement of SPD, we were able to quickly determine that there was no credible threat,” Wilder wrote. “There was no need for further action at the school.”

An investigation into the situation remains ongoing, Sycamore police said.

Wednesday’s investigation was the latest safety threat to plague DeKalb County schools and prompt police response, a trend seen across much of northern Illinois since the school year began. Joliet police also increased their presence in schools Monday in response to a social media threat that police said wasn’t credible. A wave of hoax threats also were reported in Kane County schools a week ago, authorities said.

Another threat that authorities determined was unsubstantiated also allegedly targeted Huntley Middle School in DeKalb on Sept. 11. Earlier in the school year, DeKalb High School employed what district officials called a “secure and teach” protocol in response to an off-campus fight. The protocol saw teachers continue lessons in locked-down classrooms.

On Monday, Wilder said he’d never experienced two separate threats to school safety on consecutive school days. On Wednesday, he encouraged the community to remain vigilant.

“We always want to encourage students and their families to notify the district of any possible threat by contacting their student’s school, district administration or the Sycamore Police Department,” Wilder wrote. “We recognize that situations of this nature can cause an emotional response. It is also important to note that we are committed to maintaining confidentiality and the integrity of ongoing investigations.”

Wilder echoed Winters’ assurances that school officials take all threats seriously and investigate each one.

Amato said his office and local law enforcement also take every perceived threat to school safety extremely seriously.

“We continue to work together to make sure our kids and teachers are safe with the threats that are continuing to plague our communities,” Amato said.

Daily Chronicle editor Kelsey Rettke contributed to this story.