Suspicious Man Approached Walker, Chute School Students

A stranger approached three District 65 students as they were walking near Crain Street and Kimball Avenue in Skokie, according to an e-mail sent to parents by Supt. Hardy Murphy.

A man in a medium blue SUV drove up to three students from Walker Elementary School and one student from Chute Middle School around 4 p.m. Tuesday, May 21, and asked the students, “How was your day today?” Murphy said in the e-mail.

The driver was described as a white or Hispanic man with grey hair, and was accompanied by a passenger who was described as white with dark hair and a white baseball cap.

“Thankfully, none of our students responded to the stranger and one of them immediately ran home to inform her parent,” Murphy said in the e-mail. “Walking in a group, not talking to the stranger, and immediately reporting the incident to a trusted adult are all perfect examples of what children should do in these types of situations.” 

Murphy asked parents to remind their children to walk home with friends, not to speak to strangers and not to approach a stranger’s vehicle. He also said parents should encourage their children to immediately report anything suspicious to their teacher, school principal or parents.