West Chicago High School Student Brought Handgun To School: Police

WHEATON, IL — A 14-year-old West Chicago juvenile has been placed in detention after police said he brought a handgun to school and was displaying it in the waistband of his pants on Wednesday, the DuPage County State’s Attorney announced.

The juvenile has been charged with one count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, one count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon by someone under the age of 21 and one count of unlawful use of a firearm by someone under the age of 18, State’s Attorney Robert Berlin announced on Thursday.

The juvenile appeared at a detention hearing on Thursday when authorities said that the student had displayed a tan Glock handgun while at school at West Chicago High School on Wednesday. Police said that a school resource officer was told that the juvenile had displayed the gun and later discovered that the boy had allegedly been in a bathroom for the final hour of class and had the gun in his waistband, Berlin said.

The juvenile was located at his home later in the day and police said he still had the handgun in his possession, according to a news release. He was taken to the West Chicago Police Department for questioning.

A judge ruled on Thursday that the juvenile should be detained until his next scheduled court appearance.

“There is absolutely no reason whatsoever for a 14-year-old boy to be in possession of a dangerous weapon, as alleged in this case,” Berlin said in a news release. “While no threats were made, directly or indirectly, my office takes any sign of potential violence involving a school very seriously and anyone suspected of any such behavior will be investigated and charged accordingly. I thank the West Chicago Police Department for their quick response in this case and their continued dedication to school safety.”

The juvenile is scheduled to next appear in court on Oct. 5.