Barrington High School was evacuated Monday afternoon after receiving a “computerized bomb threat,” then additional bomb threats shortly thereafter, with police summing up the incident as the latest school to be enveloped by a recent trend of swatting events.
The reported threat to BHS was found not to be credible, police and school officials said in a joint statement sent to parents and other Barrington School District 220 stakeholders.
“Incidents like these are part of a growing hoax trend, also known as ‘swatting,’ which has been occurring in school districts across the country,” police chief David Dorn and BHS Principal Steve McWilliams wrote in the joint statement.
The school day was expected to continue after Barrington police and fire department officials investigated the threat, but the decision was made to evacuate the building “out of an abundance of caution” once more bomb threats were received.
A follow-up statement from District 220 and the Barrington Police Department said the Cook County bomb squad was also called in to “ensure that the campus is safe and secure” and said another update would come later Monday as officials “continue to assess the situation and ensure the campus is safe to return to school tomorrow.”
District 220 and the Barrington Police Department’s initial statement said the school day would continue as normal, but that there would be an increased police presence at the school the rest of the day “out of an abundance of caution.”
Plans changed once further threats ensued.
A district spokeswoman directed Pioneer Press to reach out with any further questions to the Barrington Police Department, which did not immediately respond further after confirming there was a police presence at the school.
Monday’s athletic and extracurricular activities were also postponed.
BHS is one of 12 schools in Barrington District 220 and is the lone high school in the district. The school has an enrollment of nearly 2,800 students.
The incident at BHS Monday follows similar reports of active shooters or violence at schools last week in at least 19 counties in Illinois and in more than 22 cities, including Chicago, Springfield, Aurora, Rockford, Peoria and Champaign that all turned out to be false claims, according to authorities.
Last month, the Chicago Tribune detailed the growing occurrences of swatting in Chicago-area schools — and the anxiety, stress and confusion it causes.
