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On Wednesday, November 8, south suburban Crete Monee High School in Illinois went into red lockdown after a student reportedly made a comment about having a gun. Later on, the student in question admitted to joking that he had a firearm. The lockdown, which turned out to be only a false alarm, was eventually lifted.
On receiving the information, several agencies quickly responded to the potential threat, but Crete Police later confirmed that nobody had a gun and that students were safe. They also confirmed that the lockdown was a precautionary measure and was lifted at 1:30 pm.
Crete Monee Student who joked about having a gun might go to Juvie
On Wednesday, November 8, a large police presence was reported out of the blue at Crete Monee High School, located at 1515 W. Exchange St. in south suburban Crete, Illinois. According to a press release from Crete Police Chief Scott S. Pieritz, the department was notified of a "firearm in a classroom" at the school at around 12:40 pm.
The school had reportedly activated its A.L.I.C.E. safety protocols, triggering an immediate response from Crete police assisted by various outside agencies. The press release detailed the process:
"Officers arrived on scene, making contact with security and identifying the exact classroom the gun was reported. The classroom and students were secured and searched; no firearm was located."
According to the press release, one Crete Monee student admitted to joking that he had a gun during the investigation. The student revealed that he had "put a large comb in his pocket" and told another student that it was a gun. Just as the situation was de-escalating, school security relayed to the officers that a gunshot was heard in the band room.
Upon a tactical investigation, the press release concluded that the noise was made most likely by someone jumping on a milk carton. There were no safety issues or threats found, and the police, with the help of school administrators, thoroughly searched and secured the remaining areas.
The potential threat resulted in a large-scale response by many emergency agencies, including the police and the fire department. Also, the rumors spread on social media, which prompted many concerned parents to arrive at the school.
Their arrival led to a blockage at the school entrance and Exchange St. The department confirmed:
"The school and police department updated parents and worked quickly to get students released to their parents and buses."
The police department firmly stated that they took these types of threats seriously. The Crete Monee student who made the joke was arrested and even charged with a felony offense.
The joke might even land him at the juvenile detention center, as the department was granted "secure detention" for the student, who now awaits a hearing. Scott S. Pieritz stated:
"These types of incidents are very chaotic in nature and cause unwarranted stress and anxiety to students, staff, and all those involved."
He added:
"In the end, there was no firearm or direct safety threat, however, that does not mean that harm was not done."
Scott S. Pieritz concluded the statement by extending gratitude to the Crete Monee school staff, school security, the police, the fire department, EMA, and every other department involved for their response to the situation.
