Lake County Gazette

A few days after a student was taken into custody with a firearm at TrueNorth Educational Cooperative 804 in Highland Park, the TrueNorth cooperative posted a Safety and Security web page. Highland Park Police responded to the report on Tuesday, Sept. 24, at 1:39 p.m.

According to a City of Highland Park news release, the juvenile was taken into custody and a firearm was recovered. No shots were fired, and no one was injured. Police said they found no indication of an intent to harm others at this time. A preliminary investigation did not find additional suspects or a threat to surrounding areas.

The city's news release said that due to the age of the individual in custody, the Juvenile Court Act prohibits the release of additional information to the public. The police department increased its patrols near all Highland Park Schools.

TrueNorth Educational Cooperative 804 announced on Facebook on Sept. 27 that it created a new Safety and Security web page (https://www.truenorth804.org/safety-and-security) that features common language and safety tips to use during an emergency. Families and staff were asked to read the information and ensure their contact information was current in TeacherEase.

TrueNorth's Safety and Security web page lists descriptions of active threats, bomb threats, medical emergencies, severe weather shelter-in-place, secure buildings, evacuation off-campus, and unauthorized persons. Safety tips include staying away from the school to avoid causing traffic jams preventing emergency responders from providing aid, staying calm, keeping phone lines open for emergency communication, and checking settings in TeacherEase (www.teacherease.com), including details on individuals listed as authorized persons to pick up children and emergency notification contact information.