A 15-year-old boy has been charged after posting photos on social media that showed him holding an assault-style rifle and issuing an apparent threat toward his southwest suburban high school.
The boy was taken into custody Sunday, charged with a felony count of disorderly conduct and taken to the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center in Chicago, according to the Cook County Sheriff’s Office.
The boy posted photos of himself posing with an AK-47, the sheriff’s office said. At least one of the photos he posted had a caption making an apparent threat against Alan B. Shepard High School in Palos Heights, where he is a student.
The sheriff’s office was first contact about 4:20 p.m. Sunday about the posts by Shepard High School’s school resource officer, authorities said.
No weapons were found in the boy’s home in south suburban Worth, the sheriff’s office said. The photos were taken at a different location with a person who has a valid state Firearm Owners Identification card.
A spokesperson for School District 218 was not available for comment Thursday afternoon.
In a letter to the community following Wednesday’s deadly school shooting in Florida, Superintendent Ty Harting posted a note encouraging parents to talk with their kids about the importance of reporting suspicious activity to an adult.
