Extra security at Barrington High today
Tyler Bosworth, an 18-year-old former Barrington High student, remains behind bars today, which is the day police allege the Elgin man threatened to attack the school in a social media post he uploaded last week.
Barrington police said Bosworth used Snapchat on Sunday to say he planned to use guns and knives to kill people at Barrington High today.
Superintendent Brian Harris said the district has worked closely with Barrington police, who have committed to provide additional security today.
“If for any reason we ever felt that there was an unsafe situation or an environment that was not appropriate we would intervene,” Harris said during the school board meeting Tuesday night. “We wouldn't encourage any kid to be there if we felt it was not a safe situation.”
To reassure anxious parents and students, Barrington Area Unit School District 220 officials posted this message to the district Facebook page Tuesday afternoon: “We don't have any reason to believe the high school will be unsafe tomorrow or any other day. With the increased police presence on campus, BHS will be even safer than it has been before.”
Barrington High Principal Steve McWilliams read a version of the district's message to students over the school PA and recorded a version that was sent to parents' voicemails.
Late Tuesday, the district's Facebook post had almost 90 comments on it, although nearly half of those were district replies to community comments, which included calls for metal detectors to be installed and backpacks to be searched.
Harris insisted there is no danger and that the threat was dealt with immediately when police arrested Bosworth.
Bosworth is charged with felont disorderly conduct, and a judge set his bail at $100,000. His next court appearance is Thursday afternoon.
This was not Bosworth's first run-in with Barrington police this year. In July, he was arrested for spitting on an officer and resisting arrest after being found trespassing on a family member's property, authorities said.