Lake County Gazette

Lake County Sheriff's Deputies have confiscated firearms from the residence of a Fremont Middle School student who allegedly threatened a school shooting while on a bus in unincorporated Mundelein on November 13.

According to a Facebook post by the Lake County Sheriff's Office, deputies were informed that a student made the threat following an altercation with other students. Upon returning home, the juvenile reportedly retrieved a firearm and made a video call to one of the students involved in the earlier incident, displaying the weapon during the call.

The post states that deputies responded to the juvenile's home, contacted the student, and seized the shotgun used in the video. The sheriff's deputies then sought and obtained a Firearm Restraining Order from the 19th Judicial Circuit Court. Further investigation led to the discovery and seizure of another firearm and ammunition inside a safe at the residence. The juvenile now faces charges in juvenile court for unlawful possession of a firearm and aggravated assault. Charges against the juvenile's guardians are pending as detectives have notified Illinois State Police regarding their Firearm Owner Identification Card (FOID) status.

The Sheriff's Community Engagement and School Resource Team collaborated with the school district to ensure safety within the school community, according to their Facebook post.

Sheriff John D. Idleburg expressed gratitude towards those who reported the threat: "We are incredibly grateful to the witnesses who stepped forward to report this threat. The community plays a critical role in preventing tragedies." Idleburg further said, "Across the country, we've seen too many instances of school violence where warning signs went unreported. Thanks to the diligence and swift action of my dedicated staff, we were able to seize these weapons and ensure the safety of the school and our community. Together, we can make a difference by speaking up when something doesn’t seem right."