'Serious Safety Threat' To Dist. 123 Schools Deemed 'Unsubstantiated Swatting Incident:' Police

OAK LAWN, IL — A serious threat made Friday morning directed at an Oak Lawn elementary school has currently been deemed an “unsubstantiated online swatting” incident by Oak Lawn police.

Around 7:15 a.m., Oak Lawn-Hometown Dist. 123 issued a safety alert after receiving an email threatening violence against Kolmar Elementary School. Subsequently, out of an abundance of caution, an emergency day was declared for all district elementary schools.

Oak Lawn police immediately identified a person of interest and sent additional resources to area schools as a precaution. The individual has been fully cooperative with the investigation, police said.

>>> Dist. 123 Schools Closed Friday Due To Threatening Email Directed At Kolmar

“At this time, it appears the individual was the victim of a ‘swatting’-type incident, in which the perpetrator or perpetrators utilized that person’s identity to issue the threat,” Oak Lawn police said in a statement.

Police said the threat is currently considered unsubstantiated. The investigation into the origin of the threat remains ongoing.

D123 Superintendent Paul Enderle said the district school closures “reflect the district’s preparedness and the immediate activity of our emergency response plan.”

In addition to schools being closed Friday, all weekend events and activities at Dist. 123 schools are canceled and will be rescheduled at a later date.

Enderle said Oak Lawn police have given the district the all clear for Dist. 123 school building to reopen Monday, Feb. 2. Before and after care through the FLASH program will be provided as normal.

“We will also provide additional, visible support for students, staff, and families as we move forward and restore our school system after this disruptive incident,” the superintendent said.

Students and parents can expect to see a heightened police presence at Dist. 123 and additional student social work support on Monday morning. Additional classroom teacher partners and administrative support will be provided at each school. Extra staff social workers and counseling services from R3 Consulting will be on hand for students and staff. Telehealth support for families will also be available through Daybreak.