A 15-year-old Glenbard North High School student was released Thursday from the DuPage County Juvenile Center, seven weeks after he was arrested on suspicion of plotting to shoot his classmates.
Judge Joseph Bongiorno released the youth after prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed on a plan of counseling and treatment that is to begin Friday morning.
The youth hugged his mother after the judge announced his decision.
Bongiorno’s order places the youth on electronic monitoring and permits him to leave his family’s Hanover Park home only to attend treatment sessions, initially set at two a week.
Gary Duerkoop, the county’s supervising juvenile Acourt prosecutor, said, “We are satisfied” with the proposed treatment plan. Prosecutors had fought efforts to have the youth released until a formal treatment plan was proposed.
William Hawkins, the youth’s attorney, said the family was pleased with the return of their son.
The youth was arrested May 14 and charged with conspiracy to commit murder after reportedly discussing a plan with a friend to get a gun and shoot Glenbard North students at the end of the school day.
The friend told his mother, who notified school officials.
Prosecutors have contended that the youth posed a real threat and were permitted to keep him at the detention center.
His parents and attorneys have contended the conversation was a “bad joke” and that the youth never intended to go through with the alleged threat.
The treatment plan is to be handled by Dr. Ruth Kraus, a University of Chicago clinical psychiatrist. The youth is to visit with her twice a week, including one session every two weeks with his family.
DuPage prosecutors also have filed a motion to have the youth’s case transferred to adult court, but neither side has discussed that in recent weeks.
Before the treatment plan was agreed upon by attorneys and given final approval by the judge, both sides submitted the boy to psychological examinations taken.
Prosecutors say that the youth, who has no previous criminal record, began talking about shooting his classmates as early as February, and they said the alleged plan fell apart when another youth he allegedly recruited to help told his mother about the reputed plot. She told school officials, who contacted authorities. The youth was removed from class and questioned the day before prosecutors say he planned to carry out the ambush.
Defense attorneys have contended that Carol Stream police and DuPage County prosecutors extracted a written statement from the suspect while denying him the opportunity to have a parent present.
They alleged that the teenager was questioned at the school for four hours without being allowed to speak with his mother.
The youth has been charged as a juvenile with solicitation of murder and conspiracy to commit murder. If he were to be tried and convicted as an adult, he could face up to 40 years in prison.
Glenbard North officials suspended the teenager who allegedly planned the shooting and his friend who warned his mother of the alleged plot. The second youth was never charged with a crime and returned to classes before the school year ended.
