Teen Threatened Lake Forest School, Tried To Buy Gun: Police

LAKE FOREST, IL — A student accused of threatening others at his high school has been charged with a felony following his arrest earlier this month. The high school student admitted he tried to purchase a firearm but denied that he intended to harm any students or staff at his Lake Forest private school, police said.

Marshell Rockwell, 18, of Beach Park, was arrested Dec. 10 and charged with felony disorderly conduct for allegedly making a threat to Connections Academy East, 300 S. Waukegan Road, the prior day, according to Lake Forest police and court records.

On the morning of his arrest, school staff reported receiving an anonymous email that said Rockwell had threatened to harm people at the school, Police Chief Karl Waldorf said in a statement. Officers contacted Rockwell and a parent and told him not to come to school that day as police investigated the tip.

The school's Lake Forest campus was placed into a soft lockdown for the day out of an abundance of caution, according to Waldorf. Detectives conducted interviews and convicted that Rockwell had made threatened others at the school verbally and on social media.

Investigators also found evidence that Rockwell also contacted several people in an an attempt to buy a gun, Waldorf said. He was not able to acquire a firearm before officers arrived at his home.

Police said Rockwell admitted trying to purchase a firearm and denied any intent to hurt students or staff at the school. Police took him into custody and held him overnight. Prosecutors approved a single felony count.

At an initial bond hearing, Rockwell was ordered held in lieu of the $5,000 cash portion of his bond and ordered not to communicate with anyone from the school or to use social media. He is due back in court in Waukegan Jan. 22 for a preliminary hearing.