A Homewood-Flossmoor High School student is facing three felony charges after allegedly bringing a handgun to the school earlier this month, Flossmoor police said Wednesday.
The student, a 16-year-old male, was charged with unlawful possession of a stolen firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm by someone under 18 years of age and unlawful possession of a firearm on school grounds, said Deputy Police Chief Tod Kamleiter.
The youth is in custody at the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center. For now, the case has been referred to the Cook County Juvenile Court. Kamleiter said the court will determine whether the student will be prosecuted as a juvenile or as an adult.
Police arrested the teen on Feb. 16 following a search of his residence in Homewood. According to a Flossmoor police report, the youth told police that the weapon – a .25-caliber Sterling Arms semi-automatic – was in a duffel bag in his closet.
The gun was not loaded at the time of the arrest, police said.
The police report states that the student brought the gun to H-F during the week of Feb. 2. Another student reported seeing the weapon at school. That student, accompanied by a parent, met with police last Friday. The student decided to report the gun following the Feb. 14 high school shooting in Parkland, Florida, police said.
After that discussion, four Flossmoor officers and one Homewood officer immediately went to the student’s house, police said. They met with one of the student’s guardians. The student – who was not at school that day – was out with another guardian when police arrived. When they returned home, police asked the student about the gun.
At first, according to the report, the teen said he had recently purchased a toy replica gun at a dollar store. When police questioned him about that purchase, he admitted he had a real gun, and where it was located. However, he declined to say why he believed he needed a gun, or how he had gotten possession of it.
Kamleiter said the gun was reported stolen in Matteson.
H-F administrators informed parents about the gun in the school following the student’s arrest.
According to the H-F student handbook, having a weapon on campus is cause for expulsion. Jodi Bryant, director of public relations and human resources, said the student would be given due process in accordance with school policy.
Kamleiter said there were two positive elements in this incident.
“It’s important that someone came forward about the presence of the gun,” he said. “It is equally important that we had the cooperation of the guardians in recovering the weapon.”
Kamleiter said there is “no indication” that the student planned to use the gun at the school.