Parents criticize how discovery of gun was handled at Glenbard East

In the wake of a student bringing a loaded handgun to Glenbard East High School, parents are criticizing how school officials handled the situation, and they’re calling for schools to have metal detectors at entrances.

The gun was found in a boys restroom Sept. 10 and was traced to the home of a 14-year-old boy in Glendale Heights, according to a news release from the DuPage County state’s attorney’s office.

The boy was charged with unlawful use of a weapon in a school and one count of possession of a firearm by a minor, both felonies. A judge ordered he be detained in a juvenile center.

He pleaded guilty Sept. 19 to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm, according to the state’s attorney’s office. He was released on home detention with electronic monitoring that day. He will be sentenced Oct. 31.

About a dozen parents spoke to the school board Monday night, with one presenting a petition signed by almost 650 people asking the district to improve security — including giving parents more information sooner.

Kathy LaCount, whose child is a freshman at East, said the school should have been locked down immediately. Officials also should not have let students return for after-school activities, she said.

“We didn’t know if there was another gun; other students (with guns),” she said, calling how officials handled it “absolutely unacceptable.”

One parent said they weren’t told about the gun until three hours after it was found.

Other parents called security workers “lax” and “unprofessional.”

Several of the speakers said the district should install metal detectors at its entrances.

Carmel Ludwig said she raised concerns about the school’s safety in November 2021 and suggested then that metal detectors be installed and the school require students use clear backpacks to reduce the ability to hide contraband.

Superintendent David Larson said the district’s threat assessment team is reviewing what happened. “We have had a lot of discussions about metal detectors” in the last few weeks, he said.

Board member Martha Mueller asked if the district could have a forum soon with parents and the community to talk about their safety concerns.

Board member Rosemarie Montanez asked if it would be useful to survey students and parents about how they feel regarding school safety.

“We are all shaken by what has occurred,” board President Margaret DeLaRosa said. " … None of us will be at rest until we have a sense of the situation. It’s not just for this moment. It is for moments ahead.”

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