School is back in session at Skokie’s McCracken Middle School Friday as administrators said “a juvenile who attended McCracken” has been identified as the source of anonymous, threatening Instagram messages that had closed the school for two days.
In a message on the school’s website, administrators said police had figured out the source about 8:15 p.m. Thursday, and that “involved students will not be in school (Friday).”
The message said teachers would spend part of the day teaching lessons in social media and digital citizenship.
Police and administrators in Skokie District 73 1/2 have declined to describe the content of the messages, other than to categorize them as “inappropriate and threatening.”
Further details about the investigation were not immediately available, but school officials said students involved in the Instagram posts would not attend classes on Friday, according to a statement on the school’s website.
All before and after school activies will be cancelled Friday, and Skokie police will be onsite as students arrive and leave the school, officials said. Staff will also be on hand if students want to further discuss what happened.
The school closing only applied to McCracken, located at 8000 E. Prairie Road. No other school in Skokie is affected.
