Relative stops Illinois school shooting plot, police recover handgun and knives
A relative pinned down an armed boy and called 911, stopping a planned school shooting before shots were fired. Police later recovered a Glock, loaded magazines and knives.
A relative’s quick intervention stopped an Illinois school shooting plot before anyone was hurt, after discovering a juvenile with a firearm, pinning him down and calling 911. Will County Sheriff’s Office deputies said the boy was allegedly on his way to carry out an attack at Grand Prairie Elementary School in Joliet when law enforcement was sent to a home in Plainfield Township.
Deputies were first dispatched around 12:50 p.m. Friday to the 2400 block of Helmar Lane after a report of a suicidal male subject. When they arrived, they found a male juvenile and one of his relatives at the scene. Investigators said the relative realized the juvenile was armed, restrained him and called for help before the situation could escalate into a school attack.
Authorities said they recovered a Glock handgun, multiple loaded magazines, knives, an accelerant and gloves from the scene. The juvenile was taken into custody and later hospitalized for evaluation after making suicidal and homicidal statements to EMS personnel, officials said. No charges had been filed as of Saturday, and the investigation remained active.
The incident came on the last day of the school year, heightening concern across Plainfield School District 202. District officials said they were notified and increased safety measures at all school facilities, including an added police presence, for the rest of the day. Officials also said there was no threat to the community after the response.
ABC7 Chicago reported that investigators believe the juvenile was a freshman at Plainfield High School-Central Campus. The planned target was Grand Prairie Elementary School, underscoring how close the case came to a school shooting and how much depended on one family member recognizing danger in time.
The case adds to a long string of school-violence threats that have forced districts, police and families to act faster and more decisively when warning signs appear. In this case, a relative’s decision to intervene, restrain the juvenile and involve law enforcement appears to have stopped the plot before a firearm was ever used against students or staff.
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