Sauk Village school beefs up security after online threat

SAUK VILLAGE, Ill. (WLS) -- There was increased security outside Rickover Junior High School in Sauk Village because of an online threat that promised violence during the school day on Monday.

School officials say they were notified of the threat over the weekend. Sauk Village police have not released any information about the threat, but there was a visible police presence at the school on Monday.

"We will fiercely protect them. That is bottom line of what we're doing in Sauk Village today," said Supt. Donna Leak, Community Consolidated District 168.

A Facebook post made on one of the student's pages claimed that during 7th period on Monday, he was going to kill everybody in school. The post tagged close to 80 students, all of whom are 7th graders.

"I wasn't going to let her go. Even though they said it was hacked, who hacked his page and is that kid still out there?" said Dawn Kyle, a parent.

Seventh period came and went without incident, but it was a tense school day as a threat made on social media sent students into lockdown. Students said their bags and lockers were searched and their movements were restricted throughout the school day.

"It was scary. There was a whole bunch of police around. We couldn't do nothing. We couldn't go to our locker, we couldn't put nothing up. We couldn't walk around and we couldn't go to the bathroom," said Amarrien Albridge, a 7th grader.

Parents were notified via phone blast, though not everyone knew about it on Monday. Many students were pulled from school, with parents choosing to be safe rather than sorry.

"He's puzzled, just like me. They took him downstairs and searched him. I don't know what's going on. I wish I would have known that before I dropped him off," said Darrel Walker, a parent.

As for the student on whose Facebook page the threat appeared, students said he was in school on Monday but was followed at all times.

"We know the kid that supposedly tagged her, he's saying the Facebook page was hacked. I know the kid. He's a good little kid. I don't think it was him at all," said Dawn Kyle, a parent.

School officials said Monday afternoon that no action has been taken against any students.