Authorities on Thursday charged a Plainfield High School student with numerous criminal charges that include attempted first-degree murder and attempt to make terrorist threats weeks after he was arrested for plotting a shooting at Grand Prairie Elementary School near Joliet.
The unidentified student had been hospitalized since May 22 after a relative in Plainfield Township discovered the student had a gun, pinned the boy down, and called 911. During his arrest, the teen made “suicidal and homicidal statements” to emergency medical service staff, authorities said.
Plainfield High student arrested for school shooting plan, police say
The boy “indicated to numerous first responders what his intentions were,” according to the Will County sheriff’s office.
Following his release from the hospital on Friday, the teen was released into the custody of law enforcement and hit with a host of charges. In addition to the attempted murder and threat charges, the boy faces charges for unlawful possession of a handgun, aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of firearm ammunition without a firearm owner’s identification card, unlawful possession of weapons and two counts of unlawful use of weapons.
After the boy’s arrest, authorities learned that the teen was on his way to stage a school shooting at nearby Grand Prairie Elementary school when the family member intervened, according to the sheriff’s office. The boy had a Glock handgun, knives, an accelerant, gloves and a backpack containing multiple loaded magazines, authorities said.
Sheriff’s officials stressed that the boy’s arrest happened after students were dismissed for early release and that there was no active threat to students or staff.
Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202 officials described the youth as a freshman at Plainfield High School’s Central Campus, who last attended school in December and “has a documented history of poor attendance.”
The teen was taken to the River Valley Justice Detention Center in Joliet, where he will await a court hearing on Saturday, authorities said.
