On Sept. 21, the West Chicago Community High School Administration sent out an email to students and their families about a student who was in possession of a firearm. The student was later sent to a juvenile justice center, and is awaiting a hearing.

According to a statement released by the West Chicago Police Department on Sept. 21, the police received information at 3:20 p.m. earlier that day, a student may have possessed a handgun.

“Officers worked with school officials to immediately gather information and were able to make contact with the juvenile suspect off-campus. The handgun was recovered and the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office was consulted. The juvenile suspect advised that they possessed the handgun for their protection,” wrote the West Chicago Police Department in a Facebook post published at 10:54 p.m. on Sept. 21.

The post was later edited, and the line “The juvenile suspect advised that they possessed the handgun for their protection” was removed.

West Chicago Community High School then sent out an email to students and their families at 11:02 p.m. on Sept. 21.

Since then, the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office has also released a statement, providing more information. The fourteen-year-old student has been charged with one count of Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon in Public – School (Class 3 Felony), one count of Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon – Under 21 (Class 4 Felony) and one count of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm – Under 18 (Class 4 Felony).

The DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office also alleged the student “was in a bathroom during the last hour of class when he showed off a tan Glock handgun from his waistband. The juvenile was located after school, at his home, with the weapon allegedly still in his possession.”
Board of Education President Bob Brown sent out an email to families and staff on Sept. 24 at 3:50 p.m. via Brittney Walker, Communications and Community Relations Coordinator at West Chicago Community High School.

“The school does have reason to believe that the gun was brought into the school building. As such, school discipline procedures will be administered accordingly but, as with all student matters, the results and consequences are strictly confidential,” wrote Brown.

“It’s such a priority because over time school violence and shootings have been getting worse throughout the years and we should be getting more safety because the safety wasn’t really good in the beginning so now that they’re getting worse we should have better safety,” said Emma Espinoza, a senior.

The school’s policies regarding handguns, which are strictly prohibited, are printed in the student handbook and available on its website. According to the handbook, the Board of Education has the “authority to impose discipline, including suspension or expulsion, for such behavior” and the ability to expel a student “from school and all school activities for a definite time period not to exceed 2 calendar years in accordance with Board policy.”

The district does not tolerate weapons, or the threat of weapons, in the school.

Incidents such as this one can be a reminder to parents, students, and staff of the importance of maintaining a welcoming and secure learning environment, and the value of meaningful relationships in the school.