CHICAGO — Chicago police officers may have stopped a tragedy from unfolding at a Northwest Side high school on Friday afternoon: A troubled student who threatened to shoot up the school as he left campus was arrested by cops who allegedly saw him ditch a loaded firearm directly outside the school grounds.
At about 1:50 p.m., officials at Foreman College and Career Academy, 3235 North Leclaire, notified police that a 17-year-old student had left in an Uber, saying he was going to come back with an AR-15 to shoot up the school, according to initial information given to responding officers.
Cops in a nearby police district went to the boy’s home while other officers responded to the school.
At about 2:03 p.m., an officer spotted the boy walking in the 5000 block of West Belmont, across from the school’s athletic field, and allegedly saw the boy toss something under a nearby vehicle.
The boy briefly ran from the police, but the cops caught him and recovered a fully loaded Ruger 9-millimeter handgun from under the vehicle, according to a law enforcement source.
A CPD spokesperson confirmed that a 17-year-old boy was arrested at the Belmont location on charges of possessing a stolen firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm near a high school, aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon by a person younger than 21, and threatening a school.
About two hours after the boy’s arrest, Foreman Principal Jason Roberts sent an email to the school community saying a student “used threatening language, left school, and returned to campus soon after.”
He did not tell the community that the threat involved shooting up the school, nor did he reveal that the boy was charged with possessing a stolen firearm and threatening to use it at the school. Here is what he wrote:
Dear Foreman Families,
Safety is always my top priority, which is why I am writing to notify you of an incident that occurred at school today. This afternoon, a member of our school community used threatening language, left school, and returned to campus soon after. Out of an abundance of caution, we notified the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and the CPS Office of Safety and Security for further support, and our community member was not allowed to re-enter our building. No one was injured. While I cannot provide additional details for privacy reasons, I can share that we are working closely with CPS and CPD to investigate this situation further. CPD will also continue to support our arrival and dismissal next week.
Please know that we take situations like this extremely seriously to ensure the safety of our school community. If your child has voiced any fears or concerns about what occurred, please let us know so we can provide them with extra support. We will continue striving to provide all students with a safe, supportive school environment. If you have any questions, please contact me directly.
Sincerely,
Principal Roberts
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