Lake County Gazette

Parents SOS is seeking to have metal detectors installed at Highland Park and Deerfield high schools.

The parent group, led by Suzanne Wahl and Enrique Perez, was active at the June 13 school board meeting. The group published a press release prior to the meeting.

“On April 4, exactly nine months to the day after the tragic July 4, 2022 mass shooting at the Highland Park 4th of July parade, Highland Park High School is forced into a hard lockdown because a student brought a gun into the school,” the group said in a press release. “At subsequent District 113 school board meetings on April 11, April 25, and May 30, parents concerned for the safety of their kids went before the D113 board to plead for metal detectors and more armed security at Deerfield and Highland Park High Schools.” 

Parents for Securing Our Schools strongly believes that the April 4 lockdown should never have happened. The group underscored its commitment to ensuring "that another April 4th NEVER happens again."

"Yet a full two weeks after the D113 board presented its community survey results showing that parents overwhelmingly favor adding 'Weapons Detection Systems' to our schools, the D113 board has done nothing. Why is the board neglecting our kids’ safety?” Parents SOS said. “To further clarify our concerns, the D113 board does not even have a “Security Update” in their published agenda.  This means that over TWO MONTHS after another potential mass shooting in Highland Park High School was avoided, the D113 board has done nothing to implement common sense security measures at its high schools beyond what it has previously done.” 

The release was published on June 13 prior to the 7 p.m. D113 board meeting at 1040 Park Avenue West in Highland Park. The group invited other parents to join them and advocate for the children's safety.

“WHY IS THE SAFETY OF OUR KIDS NO LONGER A PRIORITY OF THIS BOARD? PARENTS SOS DEMANDS IMMEDIATE ACTION TO SECURE OUR KIDS NOW “PARENTS SOS will yet again go before the D113 board tonight during the public comments portion of their meeting to demand the board immediately install metal detectors and hire more armed security personnel at Highland Park and Deerfield High Schools," the group said. "The public comments portion of the meeting will occur shortly after the meeting begins.” 

In a May 30 meeting, the Board President, Dan Struck denied that it is not ignoring the call of the parents. 

"The suggestion that District 113 does not take security act is inaccurate. The safety and security of our students and staff is an ongoing area of concern for building leadership, the administration, and the board," Struck said. "Security is a regular subject for board consideration and discussion. Security discussions are taken seriously... Any suggestion that the 113 board and administration do not take security seriously is personally offensive. We are parents, relatives, and friend of the families of 113 graduates, current 113 students and future 113 students. Sitting on this board we embrace the fact that our high schools are central to the lives of our shared communities. It is deplorable to suggest that any of us in this board are callous toward the safety of the children in our schools."

The calls for increased security occurred after an April 4 lockdown at Highland Park High School, prompted by a report of a student potentially possessing a gun. The lockdown caused disruptions to local polling places during the April 4 election. The lockdown, which lasted from the morning until around noon, resulted in the temporary closure of municipal buildings, District 112 schools, District 113 schools, the Park District of Highland Park, and the Highland Park Public Library. The incident involved five students, one of whom was suspected of having a gun based on security footage showing two students leaving the building, Lake County Gazette earlier reported.

Parents are expressing doubts and raising questions about a recent student walkout at Lake Forest High School, which was organized as a gun control protest. Melanie Finch, a parent, voiced her skepticism on Facebook, suggesting that many students participated in the walkout to cut class rather than out of genuine conviction. She proposed using funds from a $105.7 million referendum intended for school improvements to hire armed security instead. The walkout, reportedly calling for a national gun ban, took place on April 6 and was attended by Illinois State Sen. Julie Morrison. However, the school administrators denied any involvement in organizing the event, stating that they neither supported nor condemned students' participation in peaceful demonstrations.

Meanwhile, Highland Park’s gun ban ordinance is undergoing a challenge by the National Association for Gun Rights. The NAGR amended its lawsuit to challenge the state law, which went into effect in January and prohibits over 170 types of firearms. Highland Park had previously enacted its own assault weapons ban ordinance in 2013, which survived legal challenges. Abraham Avalos, a survivor of a July 2022 mass shooting incident, criticized the effectiveness of the gun control measures, highlighting the importance of individual responsibility and self-defense.