Crow Island School was in lock down on June 8, 2016
WILMETTE – The 13-year-old Wilmette boy accused of making false, threatening telephone calls to local schools was not a District 39 student.
The teen faces seven felony counts of disorderly conduct related to false bomb threats, two felony counts of making threats against schools, one felony count abuse of an elderly person and one misdemeanor battery. He was arrested and taken into custody on July 19 by the Wilmette, Winnetka and Glenview police departments.
The boy was held overnight at the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center and subsequently released on July 20 to his mother pending a hearing.
Superintendent Ray Lechner told parents in an email on July 22 the teenager was not a student of Wilmette public schools. And on July 25 Wilmette Police Chief Brian King told DailyNorthShore.com he did not know where the boy attended school.
On April 5 and June 7, schools in Wilmette received suspicious phone calls that included threats of shootings and bombings at the schools, as well as death to specific faculty members, according to police.
On June 8, Crow Island Elementary School in Winnetka and Avoca West in Glenview received similar threatening calls. At Crow Island the threatening phone call prompted school officials to contact the police, believing someone with a gun may have been on school property. The elementary school was on lock-down until police determined the grounds were safe.
Chief King said the Wilmette, Winnetka and Glenview police departments have worked together investigating the origin of the phone calls since June.
Initially, the police believed the calls were hoax phone calls similar to ones made throughout the country and United Kingdom. But further analysis of phone records eventually led the police to question the Wilmette teen.
Wilmette police said the calls originated from a mobile phone application that led to the teen’s electronic device. Under a search warrant, the police reviewed the boy’s device. The police allege he placed vulgar and threatening phone calls to the schools as well as other businesses, stores and institutions, but that he did not have the means to carry out the threats.
According to the Wilmette Police Department news release, the teen was also charged with elder abuse and domestic battery after the police reviewed videos on his device that showed the boy had abused his elderly father.
Chief King noted that this type of behavior is not taken lightly. “We take these calls very seriously and they consume a lot of police resources. They are unnecessary and cause disruption to the school day. When someone is identified making these types of threats electronically they will be prosecuted,” he said.
Crow Island School was in lock down on June 8, 2016