Ex-Richmond-Burton student accused of threats to ‘shoot up’ high school not fit to stand trial: judge

A former Richmond-Burton Community High School student accused of threatening on social media to “shoot up” the school was found unfit to stand trial Thursday.

Kaitlynn Hare, 20, of Richmond, who was previously banned from the campus, is charged with threatening a school building or persons, a Class 4 felony, according to the indictment filed in McHenry County court. Sentencing on a Class 4 felony ranges from probation to three years in prison.

On Thursday, Judge Mark Gerhardt signed a finding of unfitness and order for treatment. The finding said Hare could be found fit to stand trial within one year with treatment.

The alleged threat was made Feb. 15 on an Instagram Live Video, according to the indictment. According to a Richmond police report, a student told school officials that he’d seen a video in which Hare and another unidentified girl said they would “shoot up the school.”

The student told investigators that he commented on the video that shooting up the school would be a bad idea. An unknown male appeared on screen and threatened the student and his family, according to the report. The student also indicated that he recognized Hare, police said.

Hare told investigators that she was “upset with the school because she was no longer able to attend ... because of previous bad behavior on school grounds,” according to the report. She was interviewed with a parent present “due to Hare’s intellectual abilities,” and the report noted that her parents have legal guardianship.

Her father told investigators that Hare did not have access to weapons, and there were none in the home, according to the report.

The judge also signed an order to notify the Illinois State Police official who oversees the issuance of firearm owner’s identification cards that Hare has been found incompetent to stand trial. Hare is due back in court Oct. 31.