Hinsdale South Student Charged With 8 Felonies for Threatening Fellow Student

A 16-year-old Hinsdale South student was arrested Wednesday on six felony weapons charges following threats made to a fellow student and evidence of firearms, knives, explosive devices and a Nazi uniform in their home, the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office and Darien police announced.

The juvenile, whose name will not be disclosed because he or she is a minor, appeared in court this morning before Judge Michael Wolfe and was charged with one count of possession of an explosive or incendiary device (a Class 1 felony), two counts of unlawful use of a weapon (a Class 3 felony), three counts of possession of firearms without a FOID card (a Class 3 felony) and two counts of disorderly conduct (a Class 4 felony).

On Monday, Oct. 3, a Hinsdale South student came forward with information regarding a Snapchat post the minor made that was threatening toward another student, the State’s Attorney’s Office said. Police officers obtained consent to search the minor’s home and, upon entering, found several guns, ammunition, paper shooting targets, explosives, knives, brass knuckles and gas masks in the minor’s possession.

The minor was then taken into custody.

According to the Chicago Tribune, authorities also found a Nazi uniform in the home of the minor, who allegedly also promised the school a “Southocaust.”

“This epitomizes the need for parents to be involved and to monitor their children’s social media use,” Darien Chief of Police Greg Thomas said in a release today.

DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin thanked several people, among them the young man who came forward with the information about the Snapchat post, the authorities at Hinsdale South and the Darien Police Department for “their outstanding work in quickly identifying the suspect and defusing what could have been a truly devastating situation.”

“We take any threat to the safety and security of our students and teachers very seriously,” Berlin said in a release. “Students and teachers alike must not fear for their safety at school. With fear in our classrooms, teachers can’t teach and students can’t learn.”

The investigation into this case is ongoing. Continue to check Patch for updates.

Photo by Anicka Slachta for Patch.