Police standoff continues late Friday in Waukegan

A police barricade situation continued Friday night in Waukegan involving a man suspected in a recent nearby shooting.

Police surrounded an apartment on the 300 block of George Avenue and locked down area schools about noon Friday. Sgt. Dave DeBaufer said late Friday the barricade situation remained “active and ongoing.”

Police went to the neighborhood Friday afternoon after a woman called 911, then hung up. They spoke with the woman and she was fine, but a man who was home and may have been armed refused to come out, DeBaufer said.

An emergency response team was called to the scene about 2:30 p.m.

Waukegan police and authorities with the Northern Illinois Police Alarm System were on scene and tried to make contact with the suspect throughout the afternoon and evening, but they received no response.

No shots were fired, and there were no reported injuries. Police weren’t sure if the man was still inside.

Police said the man is a suspect in a shooting last week, and the apartment is possibly where he lives.

Three area schools — Carman-Buckner Elementary School, Andrew Cooke Magnet School and EPIC Early Learning Center — were placed on soft lockdown about noon, when police notified officials at Waukegan School District 60 about the standoff.

Students and staff were allowed to move freely inside the buildings during the lockdown, but no guests were allowed inside unless they had a prior appointment, officials said in a news release.

At dismissal time, students at Carman-Buckner were not allowed to leave the building without a parent. Dismissal procedures remained relatively unchanged at Cooke and EPIC, where students are normally bussed or picked up by parents, officials said.

Police said they would provide an update on the situation Saturday morning.