Special Education Student Brings Gun To School In Highland Park, Police Say

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — A student brought a gun to school Tuesday at a special education school in Highland Park, authorities said.

Shortly after 1:30 p.m., police were called to a report of a child with a gun at North Shore Academy, 754 Red Oak Lane.

The student was quickly taken into custody, and a firearm was recovered, authorities said.

No shots were fired, and no injuries were reported in the incident, which triggered a brief soft lockdown at nearby schools in North Shore School District 112.

According to a statement from city staff, a preliminary investigation indicates that the student did not intend to harm anyone, and there is no evidence of any additional suspects or threats to the surrounding area.

However, as a precautionary measure, Highland Park police announced plans to increase patrols around all schools in the city.

City staff contend they are prohibited from providing any details in juvenile cases, including the ages of arrestees or the crimes they are charged with, by state law.

TrueNorth Educational Cooperative 804, which operates North Shore Academy, serves as a public therapeutic day school for students from kindergarten to 12th grade with emotional and behavioral disabilities.

Formerly known as the North Shore Special Education District, the special education cooperative partners with local school districts, including NSSD-112 and Township High School District 113, New Trier Township High School District 203, Sunset Ridge School District 29, Glencoe School District 35, Winnetka School District 36 and Kenilworth School District 38.