Teen with BB gun puts Gages Lake schools on lockdown

Gages Lake schools were placed on lockdown Wednesday afternoon after a school bus driver observed a teen near a school with what appeared to be a rifle, according to a news release.

The Lake County sheriff's office responded to the call around 2:45 p.m. at Laremont School, 17934 W. Gages Lake Road, officials said.

A school bus driver saw the teen in a wooded area near the school while students were loading onto buses in the school's parking lot. The partially loaded buses immediately left the school parking lot, and the school was placed on lockdown.

According to a news release, Woodland Elementary District 50 also put Woodland Primary, Elementary East and Elementary West schools on soft lockdown for about five minutes after hearing a possible armed person was at large within the district boundaries.

Police located a 17-year-old boy in the wooded area with a BB gun. He said he was shooting birds in the woods but he was taken into custody. No reports of shots fired were received.

The Laremont lockdown was lifted after approximately 15 minutes. Police said charges are pending.