Homecoming BB Gun Incident: Lockport HS Releases Timeline

LOCKPORT, IL — Lockport Township High School released a timeline of the Homecoming dance to parents on Monday, after a report of a gun at the dance led to chaos and multiple agencies responding. According to the letter, two LTHS freshmen students are facing criminal charges and school disciplinary action because of their conduct at the dance.

The school said the incident remains under investigation, but the timeline is as follows:

The doors to the dance opened at 6:45 p.m., according to the school.

At around 7:45 p.m., a student told a Lockport police officer at the dance that he had heard that a student had brought a gun to the dance, the school said. The student gave the officer a description of the other student. The school said seven Lockport police officers were present at the campus as regular supervision staff.

Police located and took the student into custody at 7:55 p.m. The school said the student did not have the pellet/BB gun in his possession. At 8:25 p.m., while still in custody, the student admitted he had brought a pellet/BB gun to the dance but had passed it to another student when he saw police searching the field house.

The second student, who was given he pellet gun, was seen reentering the dance at 8:42 p.m., and was taken into police custody, the school said. That student told police he had buried the gun in the yard of a nearby home. Police went to the location and recovered the pellet gun.

At 8:45 p.m., a large group of students in the hallway outside of the field house became startled and rushed for the exit. The school said several students fell and students fell on top of one another. The cause of this rush remains under investigation.

The school sent out a phone and email message to parents at 9:45 p.m., and a message was placed on the school website.

The school said the dance ended a half hour early at 9:30 p.m., since many students left and parents came to pick up students. Several surrounding police agencies also sent teams to the school when they heard the erroneous report of an active shooter.

According to the school, counselors and social workers are available on Monday at LTHS to help students who are experiencing stress or anxiety because of this incident.

Image via LTHS.