8th grader arrested for bringing loaded gun to Crete-Monee Middle School

UNIVERSITY PARK, Ill. (WLS) -- School district officials said an eighth grader was arrested Thursday for bringing a loaded gun to Crete-Monee Middle School in University Park.

A spokesman for School District 201-U said a security guard noticed an unattended backpack in the cafeteria around 10:50 a.m. The backpack was searched and a loaded gun was found inside.

In a letter home to parents, school officials said the school was placed on a Hold and Teach, or soft lockdown, while administrators contacted University Park police. The student was taken off the premises by police, school officials said.

No students or staff were harmed, and the soft lockdown was lifted shortly thereafter.

No information about any charges or pending charges has been released.