2 Waukegan High School Washington Campus Students Taken Into Custody After Lockdown
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Two Waukegan High School Washington Campus students were taken into custody Thursday and could face criminal charges, after pictures of them with a BB gun prompted a lockdown.
Waukegan police said officers responded to the school around 8:45 a.m. Thursday, after receiving a call of a social media post showing two students with a gun.
After investigating, officers located the two students seen in the post, who were brought in for questioning. Police determined the two students had entered the school on Wednesday after regular school hours, during an athletic event, and took pictures of themselves with a BB gun.
Those pictures surfaced on social media on Thursday, prompting a lockdown at the school.
School district officials said the nearby Alternative/Optional Education Center and Abbott Middle School also were placed on lockdown as a precaution.
"We want to ensure that all parents understand that any real or perceived threat to our school is taken seriously and investigated thoroughly. The school district continues to investigate this incident, and we will be working to immediately institute additional safety protocols for all visitors during after school events," the district said in a Facebook post.
Police said the students did not have the gun with them at school on Thursday, and they were released into their parents' custody after questioning.
The case will be forwarded to the Lake County Depke Juvenile Justice Center to determine if the students should face criminal charges.