Westville schools placed on soft lockdown Tuesday morning

WESTVILLE, Ill. (WCIA) — The Westville School District was placed on a soft lockdown Tuesday morning out of an abundance of caution following an incident nearby involving a potentially armed shoplifter.

Officials with the Westville Police Department said that just before 11 a.m. on Tuesday, a man was confronted by staff at the town’s Dollar General for retail theft. The man reportedly implied to staff that he had a gun before leaving and going into a wooded area near the store. No gun was ever displayed or seen.

Due to the school’s proximity to the store, the school district was informed of the incident and staff initiated a soft lockdown at each school while the investigation was ongoing. No threat was ever made toward the school or the community.

School resource officers were and still are at the schools, which have since resumed normal operations.

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