Following a rash of phony active shooter scares at Joliet public schools posted on social media, students will now undergo daily searches upon entering school. Due to the unfortunate trend of bogus social media threats, students will go through the Evolv Concealed Weapons Detecting System each day upon entry to school until further notice.
Students will walk through the system at a normal pace without removing anything from their pockets or purse or backpack. However, they are required to remove their laptops and other computing devices.
Students who may be late to class due to the new procedure will not be marked tardy. Students not riding the bus are encouraged to arrive early to school to avoid congestion.
The new scanning requirement is a sign of the rising tension surrounding school safety. Although a recent scare at Joliet West High School over a report that there was a shooter on the loose turned out to be a hoax, students who attend the school and their parents are still on edge.
“My 16-year-old daughter Camahni called me from gym class, scared out of her mind,” said her mother, Leslie Jones. “The school told us absolutely nothing about what was going on. I had no way of knowing if my daughter was safe or not, if she had not been constantly calling me on her cellphone.”
That seemed to be the consensus of how things have been handled ever since the school was put on lockdown last Friday, after a posting on social media that an active shooter was on the loose at Joliet West and Dirksen Junior High School. Both threats were determined unfounded.
In the Joliet West incident, a 14-year-old student has been taken into custody and charged with Felony Disorderly Conduct – Transmitting a Threat of Destruction of School Property or Violence, Death or Bodily Harm Against Persons at School. In the Dirksen Junior High incident, a 12-year-old female was also arrested, processed, and released to a parent for Felony Disorderly Conduct.
“I was still nervous about sending my daughter to Joliet West on Monday,” Jones said, “so I erred on the side of caution and kept her home.” Officials at Joliet West acknowledge that classes were decidedly empty on Monday as fears on the part of students and parents were largely unabated.
Classes went back to normal on Tuesday, but that hasn’t stopped the feelings of apprehension. “It’s hard to study and pay attention in class,” Camahni said. “I keep looking over my shoulder. Today we had a sub (substitute teacher) who kept on leaving the door open. I asked him to close the door because I didn’t feel comfortable with it open.”
Camahni said the teacher refused to close the door, much to her continued discomfort. “I decided that since the teacher was only a sub, I wouldn’t make a big deal about it, but still, it made me nervous.”
Despite the recent scare, Camahni said, the prank postings of active shooters are still going up on social media. “There were some other postings today. It just doesn’t end!”
According to Jones, she and the other parents at Joliet West remain on edge. “I don’t turn my phone off or even put it on silent,” Jones said. “I told my daughter that if she sees anything, to call me right away. Don’t wait for the school to say something.
“As far as the prank postings on social media, I tell her that this is no joke. Someone could get hurt. If you see anything, say something and, more importantly, call me!”
