Police: Skokie students involved in ‘threat’ at school released

Two middle school students taken into custody on Wednesday for allegedly “plotting to shoot someone” at their north suburban school have been released, but could still face charges.

Just after 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, officers were called by Skokie School District 73.5 officials to McCracken Middle School when a student reported she learned “she was a possible target of the offenders,” a statement from Skokie police said.

Two Skokie boys, ages 13 and 14, were taken into custody in connection with an alleged plot to commit “a shooting at the school in the near future,” police said.

Three additional students suspected of knowing about the plan were questioned by police before being released to their parents, police said. Investigators determined those students had no criminal involvement.

Neither of the two boys taken into custody had known access to firearms and no weapons were recovered, police said. The extent of the plot, and the role of social media in the incident, remained under investigation Thursday.

The boys have been released from Skokie police custody and referred to court via the Juvenile Justice Bureau of the Cook County state’s attorney’s office, according to a statement from Skokie police spokesman Eric Swaback. The state’s attorney’s office will review the case and determine whether to pursue charges against the boys.

The state’s attorney’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday evening.

Anyone with information or details about the incident was asked to call 911.