Schools

More Threatening Graffiti Found at Lake Zurich Middle School South

School and police investigate and urge parents to talk to their kids about the seriousness of writing threats.

 

 

Lake Zurich Police responded to Lake Zurich Middle School South, today, for another incident of threatening graffiti on the bathroom wall.

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This is the third incident of threatening graffiti in Lake Zurich School District 95 in the past two weeks and school officials believe it is a copycat incident.

“The police were called and access to the bathroom was closed while an investigation was conducted.  We are working with the police to make every attempt to determine who might be responsible for this threat/vandalism.  In the meantime, we are also aware that copycat incidents are not unusual,” wrote Principal David Gardner in a communication that was sent to parents, Friday afternoon.

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“Unfortunately, it’s the nature of the beast. People repeat news,”  said Jean Malek, director of communications for Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95. 

 

 

The first incident that apparently started the string of threats occurred at Lake Zurich High School, April 18, when a student wrote threatening lyrics from a song and the date May 2 on a school desk. The student was found out the next day and an investigation determined that the threat was not credible.

On April 20, the same graffiti was found on the girls bathroom wall at Lake Zurich Middle School South. School officials and police have yet to determine who was responsible.

Today, May 4, threatening graffiti was found on the boys bathroom wall at Lake Zurich Middle School South.

“This graffiti was different, but again it referenced killing,” Malek said.

The school is working with police to determine who is responsible for the threat and planning to bring a Lake Zurich police officer to talk to students during lunch time on Monday.

School officials are also urging that parents talk to their children and share any information that they may have as to the identity of the offender. Information can be provided directly to Principal Gardner.

“We are also asking parents to have a talk with their children so they understand the seriousness of this," Malek said.

“We want them to know we try our hardest to make sure school is a safe environment. We  also want to make sure they understand this is not just a little joke . . .  Graffiti on a bathroom wall in a school is not unusual, but when it’s a threatening nature it can make other students feel very uncomfortable.  It’s disruptive and that’s not ok,” Malek said.

 

Update 4:30 p.m.

Lake Zurich Police Deputy Chief Kevin Finlon confirmed that the latest incident of threatening graffiti, found in the boys bathroom at Lake Zurich Middle School South, appears to be a copycat incident. 

He said it took just a day to determine who was responsible for the LZHS incident because it was a restricted area -- a student's desk. Whereas the bathrooms are accessible to everyone. 

"We will work closely with the school to make sure kids are safe. We always try to keep as much police presence as possible knowing we can only be in so many spots. We try to have an officer in the school area, not in the school. We remind our guys, at the beginning of the school day and end of the school day, to be in the school zone," Finlon said.

Finlon said the latest graffiti did not have a date. He said he discourages parents from keeping their children home from school because that encourages these types of incidents.


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