A 17-year-old Stevenson High School junior has been charged as an adult for allegedly bringing a gun in his backpack into a classroom Friday.
Lamont Glenn, of Buffalo Grove, is charged with unlawful use of a weapon, with an aggravating factor that he allegedly brought the weapon to school; possession of a firearm; and not having a firearm owner’s identification card.
During a hearing Monday afternoon in Lake County Circuit Court, Judge Christen Bishop set Glenn’s bail at $50,000 and appointed a public defender until more information is available as to whether his guardians will hire a private attorney to represent him.
More Top Picks Why Screens Trigger Headaches After A Head Injury
“This is a really serious charge, one serious enough that our state legislators made the determination that if you are charged with this, you must be charged as an adult,” Bishop told Glenn, referencing the unlawful possession of a weapon charge at a school.
The possession of a weapon charge is the most serious Glenn faces, a Class 3 felony that can result in a sentence up to five years in prison upon conviction.
Although Glenn is charged as an adult, he will be held in the Hulse Detention Center at the Depke Juvenile Justice Complex in Vernon Hills and taken to court hearings by the Lake County Sheriff’s office.
Assistant State’s Attorney Don Tyer requested that if Glenn bonds out, he be ordered to have no contact with Stevenson High School.
Bishop agreed, noting she is still awaiting an initial report on Glenn and has no information about his background. The judge also said Glenn must live with his mother, adhere to a curfew, consume no drugs or alcohol, and possess no weapons if he is released on bond.
In requesting a lower bail, public defender Evan Atwood said the gun was not loaded and he hasn’t heard of any prior offenses involving Glenn.
“I would argue there was no intent,” Atwood said of the gun not being loaded.
Glenn’s next court appearance, a bond review hearing, is scheduled for Thursday.
According to Tyer, Lincolnshire police and Stevenson administrators were made aware that Glenn had a gun at school by other students. At least one classmate claimed Glenn had brought it to school the day before as well, Tyer said.
Glenn was arrested at his classroom desk after he was identified by school officials through the classroom’s glass door, Tyer said. When officers asked Glenn where the gun was, Tyer said Glenn responded that it was within reach in a bag inside his backpack.
Police said a .38-caliber chrome revolver was found with no bullets in the backpack. No other weapons were found in a search of his locker, police said.
Neither police nor prosecutors have said who owns the gun, how Glenn allegedly acquired it or what his intention may have been.
District 125 Superintendent Eric Twadell and Stevenson principal Troy Gobble declined Friday to say if Glenn had any prior discipline problems. They also were waiting for more information from law enforcement before deciding on a response by the school.
School spokesman Jim Conrey said officials believe this to be the first possession-of-firearm incident in Stevenson’s 50-year history. Conrey would not comment on discipline in this specific situation, but laid out what may happen.
“While we don’t comment on disciplinary actions taken against students, it is fair to say that we will do whatever it takes to ensure the safety of our students,” Conrey said in an email Monday. “Under school guidelines, a student found to be in possession of a weapon can be recommended for expulsion. The school board ultimately would decide on whether a student should be expelled.”
Pioneer Press reporter Ronnie Wachter contributed to this report.
Twitter @JimNewton5