According to Lake Forest High School Principal Dr. Erin Lenart, on Oct. 25 dispatchers got a call saying someone had planted a bomb inside LFHS. Students and staff were told to lock their classroom doors and remain in their rooms for a soft lockdown. 

Some students took the threat in STRIDE.

“I have gotten so used to bullets found around the school and threats that when the announcement was made on the loudspeaker, I was not shocked. I figured it was just another threat from another person that wants to scare the students and staff,” said junior Samantha Schacher.

Rumors spread quickly, however students were left with many questions unanswered. 

“Since we weren’t told why we were going on lockdown, my classmates and I were very confused and didn’t know if we should be worried,” said junior Mona Ferraioli. 

The school day paused as both teachers and students were placed in a shelter-in-place. Nobody was allowed to leave classrooms, to use the bathroom, or to get water. Students not previously in the school were only allowed to enter if their backpacks were searched and ruled safe for entry. Any student wishing to leave the school had to be called out by their parents. Once their parents arrived at the school to pick them up, the students were escorted to their cars individually by the School Resource Officer Mark Long.

 Communications to parents were delayed, though, as there was a brief issue with Bright Arrow, the system the school uses to deliver news and messages to parents. 

While the police were searching the school for suspicious activity, they received two phone calls from out-of-state numbers stating that active violence was taking place at the school. Police immediately knew this was not true; it was a prank call. There was no real threat to the school. 

Since information was still being collected, schools in the Lake Forest area (District 67 and 115) were told not to leave the school for safety reasons. Principal Lenart and the rest of LFHS administration and security department continued to “secure the perimeter and moved students back to their classrooms, directing teachers to remain in their classrooms, lock their doors and teach,” said Dr. Lenart.

In September, Red Oak School in Highland Park received three bomb threats in the span of five days. The school received emailed threats, but police determined that the threat was not credible, much like the threat received to LFHS on Wednesday morning.