Waubonsie Valley High School on Eola Road in Aurora, Illinois was locked down on Wednesday morning after there were reports of a weapon on campus. The search lasted for hours and ended just before 12:30 p.m. One person was taken into custody and a BB gun was confiscated.
News of the lockdown was posted on the school’s website and sent to parents via phone calls and e-mails by Principal Kristine Marchiando. It said, “As a precaution, I have locked down the school this morning while the school administration and the police investigate a potential threat. I want to stress this measure is a safety precaution only and all of our students and staff are safe. We will provide an update as soon as we have more information.”
According to Aurora Police Lt. Paul Nelson, a student told officials that he saw two students with a pistol. Another student reported a scrawled message on a stairwell wall on Tuesday that said, “Bomb 12/10.” It is not known yet whether there is a connection between the pistol and the threat.
After the search ended, the principal wrote the following e-mail to parents: “We owe a great deal of thanks to some very brave students that reported what looked like a hand gun. A complete search was done and we found a look-alike weapon, also known as an air pistol. It was not fired, nor was anyone hurt.”
The students have all returned for their afternoon classes in what is being described as a normal p.m. schedule.
School photo below.