A 17-year-old girl is facing charges after allegedly sending a threatening online message Thursday directed at a high school in west suburban Elmhurst.
The girl was charged with a felony count of disorderly conduct and a misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana, according to the DuPage Count Sheriff’s Office.
The teen allegedly used the popular messaging app Snapchat to send a classmate the threat against York Community High School at 355 St. Charles Road, the sheriff’s office said. After a fellow student reported the threat to authorities and school officials, the girl was taken into custody Thursday evening.
She was ordered held at the Kane County Juvenile Justice Center during a Friday court hearing, the sheriff’s office said. Her next court date was set for Monday.
“This is the third time within the past month that my office has charged a student with making a threat against a DuPage County School,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert B. Berlin said in a statement. “Students have got to learn that threatening a school is no joking matter.”
“My office takes any threat to the wellbeing of our students, teachers and school personnel very seriously and will fully investigate and prosecute anyone believed responsible for threatening a school,” Berlin added. “Additionally, we will continue to work with schools throughout the County to ensure that our schools are as safe as they can be so that students and teachers never worry for their safety while at school.”
