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Police response in Arlington Heights ends peacefully

Police from as far away as North Riverside and Wilmette mobilized about noon Saturday in response to a report of a person with a gun at a home near South Middle School in Arlington Heights, though no one was harmed.

Arlington Heights Deputy Chief Nicholas Pecora said a woman in her late 30s living in a home at the intersection of South and Highland streets had grown extremely despondent as she was texting with a friend. Pecora said the friend knew the woman had weapons inside the home and called police around 11 a.m.

Police activated their emergency network - the Northern Illinois Police Alarm System - which provided backup from departments around the northwest suburbs, including Des Plaines, Villa Park, Wilmette and North Riverside.

More than an hour later, the woman came out of the house on her own accord, and was taken to Northwest Community Hospital's emergency department for evaluation, Pecora said.

As of Saturday evening, no criminal charges are pending or anticipated, police said.

Police dressed in combat gear and carrying heavy weapons canvassed the area, and police vehicles from various departments blocked off the streets. Police also evacuated nearby homes.

The incident ended just after 1 p.m. and caused some brief disruption for a Bulgarian folk festival being held at South Middle School, drawing attendees from around the country.

• Daily Herald staff writer Jamie Sotonoff contributed to this report.

A police vehicle from Des Plaines blocks off a street in the neighborhood around South Middle School in Arlington Heights. There were reports of a person with a gun in a house in the neighborhood. Courtesy of Lucy Lampinen
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