LFHS was evacuated Saturday after a student found a school evacuation map graffitied with an “image of a potential location for a school shooter, a derogatory statement directed toward a staff member, a drawing of a swastika, and a student name included as a supposed signature” in a bathroom. 

The graffiti sparked an immediate response from the administration, and the building was closed for the remainder of the day as everyone in the building was sent home. 

In a school-wide email, Principal Erin Lenart said the students responsible have been reported to Robert W. Depke Juvenile Detention Center to determine appropriate charges. Their names were not released because they are minors. 

This was the third safety concern over the last few weeks. A student was recorded watching a video about weapons on Sept. 26, and on Oct. 6 a bullet was found on the floor of a well-traveled throughway in the library. 

The administration said their investigation determined the student watching the video “was not deemed to be a threat,” and was concluded to not be related to either of the other two events, according to another school-wide email. As for the bullet, an anonymous student came forward with the name of the student who was responsible.

“A student pointed it out to Mrs. Lauren Fairchild, who came over to look at it; nobody touched it. She brought Mrs. Veronica Roman over also, they looked at it, called security and the security dealt with it from there,” librarian Ms. Katie Pausch said. 

Administration was quickly in contact with parents, but some students were not receiving updates. 

“I think that at the very least teachers should have been notified while it was happening. People should be more aware of what is going on in a more timely manner,” senior Natalie Goeks said. 

The communication was soon fixed, as Dr. Lenart wrote that it was because of  a “slight glitch in our system.” 

Even so, some students remain uneasy.

“It’s still really scary knowing that the environment that you spend seven hours a day in has had threats towards it. It’s a really unsettling feeling,” Rubinstein said. 

Senior Posy Connery said she felt comfort knowing “teachers are here for you as is the other support staff.”

“As our principal communicated with the students more, I felt better knowing how the school was handling the situation,” she said.

Still, the uncertainty left attendance rates lower than usual on Friday.

“I stayed home Friday. I woke up and my mom asked if I wanted to stay home that morning because of everything that was happening,” junior Andrew Rourke said. “It’s messed up what’s happening and people are treating it as a joke.”

Just months after the Highland Park shooting that killed seven people and injured 48 others, fear is a very real feeling among students at the school.