13-Year-Old Wilmette Boy Charged Over 3 Guns In Bedroom: Police

WILMETTE, IL — The 13-year-old Wilmette boy who prompted a precautionary search of his middle school earlier this month was charged with four firearm offenses Thursday, police said. One of the parents of the Wilmette Junior High School contacted police on Sept. 16 after finding guns in his bedroom. Officers found evidence he had been experimenting with bomb-making was also found, although no devices were found, according to Cmdr. Mike Robinson.

Although there was no evidence of a threat or planned attack any school, police decided it would be wise to conduct a full search of the boy's school considering he had been found with several weapons and the materials to make small improvised explosive devices, Robinson said in a release.

Investigators believe the two handguns and one shotgun found in the boy's bedroom were secretly stolen from locked storage unit, police said. The weapons were all legally owned by a family member, but prosecutors determined the teen did not possess them lawfully.

The Cook County State's Attorney's Office petitioned the boy to juvenile court Sept. 27 on four firearm offenses: two felony counts of unlawful use of a weapon for possession of the handguns, one felony for possessing ammunition and a misdemeanor count of possession of a firearm while under the age of 18. He was transferred to the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center ahead of a pending hearing, according to Robinson.

Police praised the parent involved for making the difficult and appropriate decision to call the police to handle the situation. The department emphasized the importance of educating young people to report concerning information to adults. Anyone with information about requiring further investigation was asked to contact Sgt. Solveig Gehrken at 847-853-7546 or School Resource Officer Raimond Pavely at 847-853-7555.

At Monday's board meeting of the Wilmette Public School District 39, Superintendent Ray Lechner read a statement about the incident. He said the district has engaged security consultants and law enforcement officials to guide security improvement.

"Understandably the events last week were difficult for our community to process," he said, citing concern on social media and rumors that can add to levels of anxiety. "I acknowledge that communication surrounding this incident was insufficient for many parents."

Lechner said the district will review its handling of the incident and consider feedback from the community.

"It's important to understand that with the Wilmette Police Department we take many proactive actions to ensure the safety of our student, however we cannot always talk about those actions publicly because they are confidential." He said administrators had a legal duty to protect the privacy of all District 39 students.

"However, when we withhold information to protect a child's privacy, we realize it can create an information void and cause frustration and anxiety in the community."

Earlier: Bomb Squad Called After Loaded Guns Found In Student's Bedroom »