Editor’s Note: The original police documents indicate the suspect was 16 years old, but the court made a correction that she is 15 years old. This article has been updated to reflect this correction.
URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — Urbana Police Detectives arrested a 15-year-old female identified as one of the offenders in the terrorist threats against Urbana High School on Tuesday.
Along with FBI Agents and Officers from Chicago Police Department, officers executed a Champaign County Warrant of Apprehension, secured by the Champaign County State’s Attorney’s Office following the joint investigation.
The arrest was made in the 7000 block of S. Wabash in Chicago. The juvenile was transported to the Champaign County Juvenile Detention Center, where she is awaiting further legal proceedings for terroristic threats.
Law enforcement officials are treating the threats via e-mail to Urbana High School on Nov. 16 and 18 as separate incidents from the threats on Nov. 7 and 9. Officials confirm she was one of the callers involved with the Nov. 7 and 9 threats.
On Nov. 7, at about 7 a.m., staff at Urbana High School contacted the Urbana High School Police
School Resource Officer concerning a threat from an unknown person who called the school’s
office. The caller mentioned that they were going to kill students by shooting them at the high
school. They also mentioned pipe bombs.
All of the threats are currently under joint investigation by the FBI and Urbana Police based on developing leads. Urbana Police believe that this is likely part of a larger national trend.
Officials say they believe that staff and children were not in imminent danger, but say that they still have to investigate all safety concerns “based on the information at hand and based on the totality of the circumstances.”
The school district is continuing work on improving security measures at Urbana High School, officials said.
Urbana Police ask that anyone who has additional information or video footage of the incident
please contact police at 217-384-2320. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous may also submit tips to Crime Stoppers by phone at: 217-373-8477 (TIPS); online at 373tips.com; or the “P3 Tips” mobile app.
Urbana High school students have been in e-learning since last week.