'I'd Rather Be Safe Than Sorry:' Student Thought They Heard Gun

ST. JOHN, IN — Indiana authorities confirmed no gun was found in Lake Central High School Wednesday, after two students at the St. John, Indiana, school were taken in for questioning over what one thought was a gun being loaded in a bathroom stall.

Reports of an active shooter on campus around 9:30 a.m. were called in to the St. John Police Department by a student. The student told police they may have heard a gun being racked in the stall next to theirs, which prompted police to respond to the scene for an active shooter, according to Police Chief Steven Flores.

Two students were taken in for questioning by police immediately. Flores said the student who was accused seemed "shocked" by the accusation, and was unaware of what they could have done to make the sound the other student heard. A thorough investigation of the building was still conducted.

"I'd rather be safe than sorry," Flores said. "I wish it would have been dispatched a little bit different, because, again, we were all going there thinking that people are getting shot and that wasn't the case — but absolutely, if kids see something wrong, they needed to report it whether it's to us or the school administration, immediately."

A SWAT unit and around 30 officers reportedly responded to the incident. All students are safe.

"There's always the chance that someone hears something that sounds familiar," Superintendent Larry Veracco told reporters. "We appreciate our kids who have the courage to report something if they think something bad is about to happen."

Police from surrounding areas conducted room-by-room searches. A social media statement from the school's student newspaper confirmed the school was locked down for at least an hour. The student paper representative tweeted while hiding in a school closet, she told Patch.

On Twitter, students said they were waiting to evacuate the building, and that evacuations had begun shortly after 10:30 a.m.

Students were seen beginning to file out of the school around 11 a.m., according to a livestream from ABC 7.

The school is located at 8410 Wicker Ave. in St. John, less than 10 miles from the Illinois border.

The area of Route 41 near the high school was closed while police continue to investigate and sweep the school, Illinois State Police told Patch.

This is a developing story. Check back with Patch for updates.

Mark Konkol, Patch staff, contributed to this story