Another rough day for Lockport High

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www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/news/1570926,2_1_AU13_LOCKHIGH_S1.article

Another rough day for Lockport High
May 13, 2009

By TONY GRAF [e-mail]
LOCKPORT -- A day after a soda bottle rigged with chemicals apparently exploded at Lockport High School's freshman campus, a bomb threat prompted the school to close on Tuesday.

The threat was anonymously phoned into the voicemail system at Lockport Township High School on Tuesday, and students at both of the school's campuses were dismissed at 9:15 a.m.

Chief Bill Kendziora of the Lockport police said the phoned-in threat "was specific for a time, a date and a location."

The dismissal came one day after a bottle with a mix of chemicals apparently exploded as students arrived for the day at the school's Central Campus, which serves freshmen. Eight people were taken to the hospital for treatment in the Monday incident. All eight were released that day.

School and activities will resume today, with heightened security measures, said Kimberly Brehm, district spokeswoman.

About 3,800 students were dismissed from the two campuses Tuesday and all school activities were canceled.

A canine search was to be conducted at both campuses.

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Lets hope the police can track down the idiots responsible for both these events.

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www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/news/1572423,LTHS-blast-arrest_jo051309.article

Teen charged with LTHS bombing

May 14, 2009

By DUAA ELDEIB AND WILLIAM LEE Sun-Times News Group
A 15-year-old boy is in custody, charged with setting off the makeshift chemical bomb that cleared Lockport Township High School's Central campus Monday.

Acting on tips, police arrested the freshman at the Lockport campus Wednesday afternoon.

Police won't name the boy because of his age. They say he confessed to setting off the plastic bottle device as a prank. He is now remorseful, they said.

"We are dealing with a very disturbed young man," Superintendent Gary Raymond said Wednesday evening. "Our hearts go out to his family."

The device sickened or injured 13 students and a staff member and prompted authorities to put Central campus on lockdown for about three hours before dismissing students early.

The boy is charged with unlawful use of a weapon, misdemeanor reckless conduct and possession of an explosive device, Will County state's attorney spokesman Charles Pelkie said. He is charged as a juvenile.

The defendant will appear at a detention hearing at 9 a.m. Thursday at the River Valley Justice Center in Joliet, Pelkie said. If convicted, the teen could be sentenced to a state juvenile facility until his 21st birthday, Pelkie added.

Police said they believe the bottle was filled with household chemicals, which when mixed together will create a reaction. Students described the bomb as making a loud "pop" sound, which some thought to be gunfire. They also said it emitted a foul-smelling smoke.

Some students who witnessed the incident also said they saw a group of students drop the bottle, though authorities said Wednesday they think the boy in custody acted alone.

Other incidents

Police also said they do not know if the chemical bomb incident is related to a pair of bomb threats in recent days at the district's East campus.

Someone scrawled a vague and unsubstantiated threat on a boys' bathroom wall at the school May 6, which authorities decided did not warrant canceling classes.

Tuesday — a day after the Central chemical bomb — someone used a computer-generated voice to leave a message at East campus threatening to detonate a bomb at a specific time. Authorities sent students home.

L-Way Central threat

Also Wednesday a student found a threat in an upstairs bathroom at Lincoln-Way Central High School around mid-day. Though Will County sheriff's department officials say the school was locked down after the threat, district spokeswoman Stacy Holland disputed that.

Holland said the vague threat — "clear the building" — prompted authorities to thoroughly search the school, but classes were not interrupted.

"Will County Sheriff's police responded and checked the building," spokesman Pat Barry said. Nothing suspicious was found when the building was searched, and the school returned to normal procedures.

Barry said police and school administrators would investigate the matter.

"We take these threats very seriously," Barry said.