Elgin High student now accused of attempted murder in teacher attack

The Elgin High School student accused of stabbing a teacher was charged with attempted first-degree murder Tuesday in Cook County Juvenile Court.

The 16-year-old also faces four counts of aggravated battery and unlawful use of a weapon.

In adding the attempted murder charge, prosecutors re-created Friday's attack.

The student walked into Carolyn Gilbert's empty classroom around 11:15 a.m. Friday and asked to wait there until the bus came, prosecutors said.

A family and consumer science teacher, Gilbert had taught the student in class during the 2006-07 school year.

Gilbert allowed the student to wait but explained she was tending to some of her work, Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Kevin Frey said. The last day of semester finals, classes had concluded at 11 a.m.

After a few minutes, the student ran up from behind, threw a coat over Gilbert and began stabbing her in the head and neck with a steak knife, causing several puncture wounds, Frey said.

Math teacher Walter Gannon heard Gilbert's cries from an adjoining classroom and intervened, stopping the bloody attack, Frey said.

Gannon activated the emergency button in the classroom and locked the student inside until authorities arrived.

Gilbert has lost vision in her left eye and likely will lose the eye, prosecutors said.

If convicted, the student could be held in the Juvenile Department of Corrections until he is 21.

A status hearing is set for Jan. 29 in Rolling Meadows.

Until then, he will remain in custody at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center in Chicago.

During a Tuesday afternoon news conference, district safety coordinator John Heiderscheidt said the student brought the knife from home.

None of the school's five high schools feature metal detectors at their entrances, Heiderscheidt said.

Instead, students are randomly "wanded" with hand-held metal detectors twice per month.

The district is reviewing the incident and examining its procedures to better ensure school safety, he said.