Prairie Knolls Middle School students shelter in place after bullet found

Students at Prairie Knolls Middle School in Elgin were ordered to shelter in place Monday after a student found a single .22-caliber bullet outside the school's cafeteria.

Students and teachers were allowed to continue holding classes but were prevented from moving outside their classrooms while police searched the building, according to a letter to parents from the Prairie Knolls administration.

The shelter-in-place order continued for about three hours while officers from the Elgin Police Department and the Kane County sheriff's office searched the building, including lockers, with a canine unit, officials said. Students were then dismissed after the building was determined to be safe.

Officials reminded parents not to rush to school to pick up their children during a shelter-in-place because additional movement by students could further jeopardize their safety. They also encouraged parents to remind their children to report suspicious activity to administrators or trusted adults.