Oak Park and River Forest High School was placed on what is called a ‘Hold’ Monday, Jan. 26 for approximately 100 minutes because of what turned out to be an unfounded bomb threat in what seems to have been a swatting incident in which false threats or fake distress calls are made to illicit a response.
“We received an anonymous phone call of a bomb threat and immediately contacted law enforcement” said an email sent out to parents by the school at 9:40 a.m. on Monday. “While the threat does not appear to be credible, out of an abundance of caution, local and county authorities are on site to conduct an inspection. We are limiting movement while this occurs.
“During a Hold, teachers close and lock their doors and continue with class and we stop movement in and out of the building until the release of the Hold is announced. We will share additional information as we are able,” said the statement to parents.
The Hold was lifted around 11 a.m. after a search of the school by a bomb squad from the Cook County Sheriff’s Department found nothing. Oak Park police officers initially responded to the school and called in the bomb squad to conduct the search.
According to an email sent out by the school two other suburban Chicago schools also received bomb threats today that were unfounded.
“During our investigation we learned that other districts in the area had received the same message, and all indications are that this was a swatting event,” said Karin Sullivan, school spokesperson, in an email.
A spokesman for the Village of Oak Park confirmed that it appears to have been a swatting event and gave a few more details on the investigation.
“Just before 11 a.m., Cook County ended the search of the building at the request of the school when it was learned that additional schools in the Chicagoland area received the same voicemail, which was tracked to a VPN overseas,” said Dan Yopchick, a spokesman for the Village of Oak Park. “Normal operations resumed at the school at that time and officers cleared the scene.
The threat and message are being investigated. No arrests have been made at this time, said Yopchick.
