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ADDISON, Ill. - Three west suburban girls have been charged with making threats against Indian Trail Junior High School, according to the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office and Addison police.
Addison school threat case
The backstory:
According to prosecutors, two 12-year-old Addison girls created and shared a video Aug. 11 that showed themselves as cartoon figures walking through a school, shooting students and then killing themselves.
Prosecutors allege the video included a handwritten map of Indian Trail Junior High School’s interior. The map labeled areas including the lunchroom, office, nurse’s office and bathroom.
The video also allegedly showed shooting in a hallway, along with the sounds of gunshots and screams.
About two weeks later, on Aug. 29, a 14-year-old Lombard girl allegedly contacted one of the Addison girls through Snapchat and WhatsApp. Prosecutors say she asked about security at the school and said she planned to buy a gun when she was 15 and carry out a school shooting at Indian Trail in 2030, and that when she turned 15 she would visit the school to conduct a shooting.
Authorities became aware of the matter after two students overheard one of the Addison girls discussing the plot by phone with the Lombard girl, prosecutors said. The students then contacted a school resource officer.
‘I commend the students’
What they're saying:
DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin praised the students who reported what they heard.
"First and foremost, I commend the students who brought this matter to authorities for their courage and concern for their fellow students and staff," Berlin said in a statement. "They absolutely did the right thing and we all owe them a debt of gratitude. It is because of their actions, a possible tragedy has been prevented."
Addison Police Chief Roy Selvik called the threats "incredibly disturbing" and praised detectives for their quick response.
"The safety and security of our students and staff remain our absolute priority, and we take every threat to our schools very seriously," Selvik said.
Charges
The Lombard girl is charged with one count of disorderly conduct — transmitting a threat to a school building, a Class 4 felony.
The two Addison girls are each charged with two counts of disorderly conduct — transmitting a threat to a school building.
The girls’ names were not released because they are minors.
What's next:
The Lombard girl appeared in juvenile court Sept. 9, where a judge ordered her to remain on home detention with electronic monitoring. She is due back in court Sept. 25.
One of the Addison girls appeared in court Monday and was also placed on home detention with electronic monitoring. Her next court date is Oct. 1.
The second Addison girl appeared in court Wednesday morning. She was ordered to home detention with electronic monitoring and is due back in court Oct. 23.
The Source: The information in this story came from the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office and the Addison Police Department.