‘An abundance of caution’: East St. Louis schools locked down after fights, threat
A fight at East St. Louis Senior High School on Monday and a social media post threatening gun violence on Tuesday resulted in a lockdown of District 189.
“The lockdown was instigated out of an abundance of caution and police were highly engaged at our campuses to ensure the safety of the students and staff throughout the day,” said Sydney Stigge-Kauffman, a spokesperson for the district.
The fight broke out in the auditorium of the high school before police were called at about 10 a.m. Monday. More than a dozen students had to be separated by police, East St. Louis police confirmed.
At least one of the students involved in the brawl would not comply with police commands and was taken into custody, according to a police report.
It was not immediately clear what led to the fight.
East St. Louis police and agents with Illinois State Police are conducting an investigation, police and school officials said.
Stigge-Kauffman said it is unclear whether the students involved are dealing with some emotions related to the deaths of two students recently. She said the students involved will be disciplined.
It was unclear whether they will face any police charges. No students were seriously injured, she said.
A second incident occurred on a school bus after class, Stigge-Kaufman said. The students were brought back to the school and administrators met with parents, she said.
“There was an argument between two students on the bus. It was contained,” she said. “We are still waiting to hear if it was related to the morning.”
The entire district was locked down after someone posted “a generalized shooting threat” to East St. Louis District 189 on Instagram. It was not targeted to any individual school, which resulted in the shutdown of the entire district.
No one but police and school officials were allowed in or out of the building during the lockdown.
Parents were notified by an automated telephone call.
“The threat was deemed not credible,” she said.
Stigge-Kaufman said the district is grateful for the support provided to the district by both the East St. Louis Police Department and Illinois State Police. She also thanked parents and staff for cooperating.
”We know incidences like this create anxiety and fear,” she said.
