Editor’s Note: This story has been updated from its original version to include additional information on Feb. 20, 2024.
Students at Oak Park and River Forest High School were placed on a “secure and teach” lockdown around 5th period after threats made through a popular social media app circulated through the community.
Right before noon Wednesday, Feb. 14, the high school was placed on a soft lockdown called “secure and teach” after reports of a student claiming to have a gun and threatening to shoot inside the building during a class period that had already started.
The threats were made through Snapchat.
In photos obtained by Wednesday Journal, the threats included “At 11:56 everyone is going to die,” “I have a gun in my bag,” and “I will shoot the school up during 5th period today.”
“We were in lockdown originally during fifth period and then they called it off,” said Jade Neace, a senior at OPRF. “Then again during 6th period they said we were going to have it again because someone said they heard a shot fired outside in the hall.”
According to Dan Yopchick, chief communications officer for the village of Oak Park, the Oak Park Police Department were sent to the high school and remained on the scene but were not “requested to enter the building.”
Yopchick said if a “secure and teach” is put in place, the school will reach out to the police department and request assistance, if it is needed.
According to the OPRF website, a “secure and teach” can be put in place for two separate situations: when there is a potential threat outside the school campus in the community and when there is a potential threat inside of the building and they need to limit movement throughout the building.
During the lockdown, students and teachers are asked to remain in their classrooms or offices and ignore all bells.
According to a video on the OPRF website explaining “secure and teach,” law enforcement and fire EMS personnel will respond to the high school during this type of lockdown.
The lockdown was lifted at about 12:29 p.m. after OPRF officials deemed the threat was not credible.
The second lockdown went into effect at about 12:39 p.m. after a student who was outside on the Mall reported hearing “shots fired.” Officers then went to the building.
Police closed Lake Street and Scoville Avenue near the school in an attempt to control traffic and deter people from going to the campus.
Jade, who was in a windowless classroom, said students were trying to remain calm and find ways to turn the scary situation into a more lighthearted one after the threats were found to be not true.
Jade later saw police enter the high school with firearms and were conducting a sweep in and outside the school.
Yopchick, who is also the spokesperson for the Oak Park Police Department, said he can confirm that police officers entered the high school but said that was all he could confirm at this time.
“I can’t specifically speak to what their operational plan was for that event,” Yopchick said. “I’d have to get more information from Chief Johnson and the command stand as to what exactly happened, what occurred in terms of were there weapons or not.”
The lockdown ended at 1:49 p.m. after officers determined that no shots had been fired.
According to Lynda Parker, assistant superintendent and principal at OPRF, officials determined that the Snapchat was sent out by an OPRF student.
“Consequences will be issued in alignment with our Behavior Education Plan,” Parker said in an email.
Traccye Love, director of campus safety at OPRF, directed all questions regarding “secure and teach and other matters,” to Karin Sullivan, executive director of communications at OPRF.
Sullivan said the school was following their “Behavior Education Plan,” when handling this situation.
According to the “Behavior Education Plan” under the section of “inappropriate language and/or expression,” “serious threats, including the use of social media to threaten bodily harm or suggest immediate risk that directly or indirectly jeopardize the health, safety, and or property of the school, school personnel, and other students,” are considered Level 3, Level 4, and a Level 5 under the schools “response levels.”
- Response Level 3 brings an “administrative facilitated restorative response” and may result in one to three days of out of school suspension.
- Response Level 4 brings “administrative facilitated restorative response” and may result in one to three days of out of school suspension.
- A Response Level 5 brings “intensive administrative intervention” and can hold four or more days of out of school suspension and/or recommendation for expulsion.
According to Yopchick, the high school and police department are always in constant communication, not just regarding incidents.
“When an event does occur obviously the communication becomes frequent and regular and I think it helps, especially now, that there have been great heads of security at the high school in the past, but now with Traccye Love, who is a former sergeant in the Oak Park Police Department, the lines of communication are even stronger than they have been in the past,” Yopchick said.
Yopchick said the police department will not present charges against an individual unless there is “a law broken or criminal activity.”
When asked if the incident that occurred at OPRF on Feb.14 was considered criminal activity, Yopchick said “not at this time, no.”
Despite students being told to head toward their seventh period class, many, including Jade, left for the day and were picked up by concerned parents who had already begun gathering outside the high school in an attempt to communicate with their children.
One group of parents were huddled together hoping to get information from a police officer seen leaving the building. They asked questions, including how many exits there were in case students had to run out. Police responded that there wasn’t enough information to relay at that time.
Others were questioning the response from the district, expressing their disapproval in how information was being communicated. The village sent an email alerting parents and the community about the event. The district has an update on its website.
Many parents who were able to get their kids on the phone told them to leave for the day.
“Their lack of communication is irresponsible,” said Melissa, who asked not to have her last name included. “It is not acceptable. Not when it comes to our children… Also, take social media threats seriously. We don’t want to find out the hard way.”
“We know that receiving notice of a ‘Secure and Teach’ can be extremely alarming, and that the time between updates may seem excruciatingly long,” Parker said. “Our priority is always the safety of our students and staff. While we are investigating to determine the facts of a situation, we are not able to respond immediately to emails and calls from parents.”
Parker added that once the district has the accurate information, they communicate it to the school community as quickly as they can.