Two children arrested for Decatur school threats

DECATUR, Ill. (WCIA) — Two children were arrested in Decatur overnight after police said they made a pair of threats toward Decatur schools on Wednesday.

Officials with the Decatur Police Department said they were made aware of a threat toward Stephen Decatur Middle School around 5:45 p.m. on Wednesday. The threat indicated violence would happen there the following day, and it was shared across multiple social media platforms.

Shortly after this threat was reported to Decatur Police, a second threat was reported. This one did not name a specific school.

Officials said the people who made the threats were quickly identified. The person who threatened Stephen Decatur Middle School was 13 years old, and they were arrested for disorderly conduct. A search of the juvenile’s home resulted in multiple guns being seized; officials said the guns were owned by one of the juvenile’s family members, who has a valid FOID card.

The 13-year-old was also involved in a similar threat that was made last month, police added. They are currently in custody at a juvenile detention center in Peoria.

The second threat was made by an 11-year-old, officials said. Under Illinois law, this juvenile could not be detained and will be petitioned to juvenile court for disorderly conduct. A search of the 11-year-old’s home found no guns.

Police said the two children did not conspire with each other in making the threats. Is it believed that the second threat was a potential copycat incident.

“The Decatur Police Department is committed to ensuring the safety of our schools and takes any threats of violence with the utmost seriousness,” officials said. “We work closely with school officials and the community to address and investigate these threats promptly, striving to maintain a safe and secure environment for students, teachers and staff. Our priority is to prevent violence and uphold the trust placed in us by the community.”

Even though arrests have been made, the investigation into these threats is still ongoing. Anyone with information about them is encouraged to contact the Decatur Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division at 217-424-2734 or Macon County Crimestoppers at 217-423-8477.

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