Oak Lawn police continue to investigate a domestic incident that led to a two-hour lockdown Thursday morning at Oak Lawn High School.
The school was placed on lockdown at 8:29 following a domestic disturbance involving an Oak Lawn High School student, police Division Chief Gerald Vetter said.
“It was a safety measure put in place,” Vetter said.
Police conducted a room-by-room search at the high school as they tried to locate the student, who police believed was carrying a gun. The lockdown was lifted at about 10:20 a.m. when the student was located by police “a couple of miles” away from the school and was in police custody, Oak Lawn District 229 Superintendent Michael Riordan said.
Riordan said school officials received a “credible report that the student might be coming to school with a gun,” though Vetter could not verify that report. Vetter and Riordan both said the student was never in the school or on school grounds.
Riordan said police instructed the school to initiate the lockdown as a precautionary measure, which meant students remained in classrooms and nobody was allowed in or out of the building. The high school has resumed regular class schedules.
The school district posted information about the lockdown on the district’s website and on social media. Riordan said some parents drove to the school upon hearing of the lockdown but were not allowed on school property. Some students were released to their parents when the lockdown was lifted, Riordan said.
Riordan expressed thanks to the Oak Lawn police for their proactive action.
“We are grateful to our staff and students for their understanding and cooperation during this stressful experience,” Riordan said in his statement. “And we are most happy to report that no one was injured and our school was safe for everyone.”
Alicia Fabbre is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.