Evanston police: Lincolnwood Elementary School lockdown lifted after student turns in gun magazine

ByABC7 Chicago Digital Team WLS logo
Tuesday, April 18, 2023
Evanston school lifts lockdown after gun magazine found
Lincolnwood Elementary School in Evanston went on lockdown after a student handed a handgun magazine to administrators Tuesday.

EVANSTON, Ill. (WLS) -- Evanston police are investigating after an elementary school student gave a handgun magazine to administrators Tuesday morning.

The incident occurred at Lincolnwood Elementary School.

The school went on lockdown as a precaution and there was no active threat, police said. Shortly before 11 a.m., police said the lockdown was lifted.

Evanston police said an 8-year-old brought a loaded magazine belonging to a family member to school, and showed it to a teacher. No threats were made.

He told the teacher this was something he was not supposed to have, police said.

The school was put on lockdown to make sure there was no gun on the premises. There was not, according to police.

The lockdown was lifted after about 45 minutes.

A spokesperson for Evanston/Skokie School District 65 said in a statement, "In today's world, we know the fear associated with this type of news. We are deeply appreciative of your patience and allowing us to do our most important job which is keeping our students and staff safe.

"With support from the Evanston Police Department (EPD), our investigation confirmed that there are no other weapons on campus, other than the magazine initially recovered which is now in the possession of EPD. We have been in contact with the student's family and this matter remains under investigation. We will work collaboratively with EPD and the student's family to provide the necessary support.

"We are grateful for the quick response of the Lincolnwood administration, our district safety and response team, and officers from the Evanston Police Department. Our Lincolnwood team was wonderful in helping to keep our students calm and feeling cared for.

"While we are resuming our regular daily operations, we know this has caused a disruption to our school day and students are likely feeling a range of emotions. We are sending our district CARES team of our dedicated social workers to support individual students and classrooms as needed. Our district safety and response team will also provide support to the school administration as needed.

"Nothing is more important to us than the safety and well-being of our students and staff. We will always err on the side of caution in our decision-making. We continue to invest in our safety and security efforts and encourage you to view more information on our website. Thank you for your patience today."