Oak Forest High School lockdown after gun threat call — FBI investigation launched

A male caller claimed to be armed inside Oak Forest High School, triggering a major police response and partial evacuation. No threat was found; the FBI is now investigating.

Gun threat call puts Oak Forest High School on lockdown, no injuries reported

A male suspect telephoned the police non-emergency line on Tuesday and claimed he was inside a bathroom at Oak Forest High School, Illinois, armed with a gun — prompting a large-scale law enforcement response, abc7chicago.com reports.

The caller told police he had access to additional firearms outside the building, as well as an explosive device. He also threatened to shoot people inside the school and claimed he had already shot someone, according to officials.

The call triggered a partial evacuation and a partial lockdown of the building. The South Suburban Emergency Response Team conducted a coordinated sweep of the entire school and found no threat.

"Our students and staff immediately went into lockdown mode. Our schools practice every year in case we have to go into a lockdown mode," said Yasmeen Sheikah of Bremen High School District 228.

Chopper 7 was over the scene around noon. Officers carrying long guns and at least one K-9 unit were visible on campus. Posen police confirmed that its own schools were placed on a soft lockdown during the incident as a precaution.

Students described the moment the alarm sounded. "On the announcements, we hear 'lockdown, lockdown.' We all just bolted into a closet, where we put all the equipment," said student Moody Betouni. Fellow student Tom Banowski added: "The teacher shut the lights off; it's scary. But again I tried to stay calm."

Parents were kept outside the school perimeter while the sweep was under way. "Me and my neighbor walked all the way because I couldn't get ahold of him," parent Erica Guiza said. Parent Carolyn Acena recounted receiving a text from her child: "She just told me they were on lockdown. SWAT came into the room, and they went on to the next room."

Some parents welcomed the scale of the response but voiced concern about the pace of communication. "The amount of law enforcement that is out here is impressive; it is what is expected. I just wish the communication was a little sooner," said parent Sara Banowski.

Officials confirmed no one was injured. The school was dismissed early, and parents were permitted to collect their children. The investigation into the source of what authorities have characterised as a false threat has been referred to the FBI for further inquiry.

Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)