A middle school student was behind this week’s bomb scare that canceled classes Tuesday for three public schools and a handful of private elementary schools in St. John and Schererville, police said.
Authorities apprehended the youngster after tracing the student’s calls to Schererville and St. John police departments, St. John Police Chief James Kveton said Thursday. Kveton declined to release additional details about the incident.
“There are a couple ways this can be dealt with — through school discipline and juvenile criminal charges, of which I think both are being taken,” Kveton said. “I don’t believe criminal charges can be brought against the parents, but they could possibly be held accountable for restitution if a judge orders it.”
Kveton said Thursday he can’t release many details about the incident in which three Lake Central School Corp. schools were closed due to bomb threats but said a student was apprehended Tuesday through tracking back the calls the student made to the Schererville and St. John police departments. Approximately 50 officers from the St. John, Schererville and other Northwest Indiana and Northeast Illinois police departments – including K-9 explosive units — worked together to make sure there were no explosives at the targeted schools as well as the private schools that also closed, police said.
As to the phone calls he’s received since the incident, he said there’s not much he can say other than the child was not 9 years-old, as has been circulating, and that there’s no need for further concern.
Lake Central Superintendent Larry Veracco did not return calls for comment Thursday.
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Veracco announced via release Tuesday morning that three schools in his district — Homan Elementary, Kolling Elementary and Clark Middle School — would close for the day after someone called in bomb threats Monday night to the Schererville and St. John police departments. Officials opted to shut down those three schools for the day Tuesday, though other corporation schools remained open because they didn’t appear to be under threat.
All Hammond Baptist Schools, St. Michael School in Schererville, St. John Evangelical Elementary School in St. John and Crown Point Christian School also were closed.
In a release on the St. John Police Department’s website, Kveton praised the efforts of all involved.
“I could not be more proud of the members of the St. John Police Department for their actions and skill exhibited during this very serious and sensitive investigation,” he said. “The decisions and actions taken by (Veracco) and the Administration of the other local private schools were completely based on the information at hand, were in the best interest of our children, and I stand behind them 100 percent. The collaboration between schools, law enforcement and our government officials was flawless.”
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.