Police stationed at Tinley Park school this week after threat
Tinley Park police said this week they will maintain a presence at Grissom Middle School until Friday after a threat earlier this week.
Police said they are working with the Cook County state’s attorney’s office and said a person suspected of making the threats is a juvenile, limiting what information they will release.
Police said they started having officers at the school, 17000 S. 80th Ave., Tuesday, and officers would maintain a presence through Friday.
A message left Tuesday with police seeking more information was not immediately returned.
Kirby Elementary District 140 had not posted any information about the threat on its Facebook page as of Tuesday afternoon.
It was not clear if district or Grissom families were made aware of the threat, such as through a call or text message, and district officials were not available to comment Tuesday.
The Cook County state’s attorney’s office on Tuesday referred any questions to Tinley Park police.
The police presence in Tinley Park comes after threats made to schools, primarily in Will County. A 12- and 14-year-old girl were charged in connection with threats at Joliet-area schools, according to police.
Mokena police said in a Facebook post they were contacted by the superintendent of Mokena schools because of a “series of false social media threats of a potential school shooting.”
Police said they confirmed the threats were not credible, and many Will County school districts received the threats.
Last week, due to a social media threat circulating around schools in the south suburbs, Rich Township High School District 227 and Park Forest-Chicago Heights Elementary District 163 went on soft lockdown , limiting movement and entrance within schools.
The lockdown at District 227 was lifted and students attended classes as usual on Friday after police investigated the threats and found no immediate threat, according to a letter sent to district families.
mnolan@southtownstar.com
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