Former Barrington High student faces charges in threat against school
A former Barrington High School student is facing a felony charge alleging he posted an online threat stating he would kill people at the school.
Tyler Bosworth, 18, of Elgin, was behind bars Thursday on accusations he used the social media platform Snapchat on Sunday to state he planned to use guns and knives to kill people at Barrington High, Barrington Police Chief David Dorn said Thursday. Bosworth also indicated he planned to target police officers, Dorn said.
Dorn said police secured a copy of the post and obtained a subpoena allowing them to trace it to Bosworth, who was arrested Tuesday.
Barrington Unit School District 220 spokeswoman Morgan Delack said students who saw the threat notified district officials. She said she did not know how many students saw the threat.
Bosworth is charged with disorderly conduct, a Class 4 felony, and a judge set his bail at $100,000. He remained in custody Thursday at the Lake County jail, with a court appearance scheduled for Friday.
This was not Bosworth's first run-in with Barrington police this year. In July, he was arrested on a charge alleging he spit on an officer and resisted arrest after being found trespassing on a family member's property. He was charged with aggravated battery to a peace officer in that case.
In an email sent to district parents Thursday, Barrington High Principal Steve McWilliams said the threat was taken seriously.
"Although the threat was unfounded, making threats against a school is a crime," McWilliams wrote. "If students are aware of a threat of violence targeting their school of community, they are encouraged to tell a trusted adult or call the SPEAK-UP national hotline at 1-866-SPEAK-UP."