ETHS lockdown concludes: 2 handguns found, 8 students detained

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Ilana Arougheti/Daily Senior Staffer

Evanston Township High School. Evanston/Skokie School District 65 and Evanston Township High School/District 202 discussed expanding their shared literacy goal on Tuesday.

Ilana Arougheti, Assistant City Editor

Evanston Township High School was under lockdown for about three hours after police found two guns in the school Thursday morning.

An Evanston Police Department School Resource Officer and ETHS safety staff recovered two handguns during their investigation after detaining two ETHS students for smoking cannabis, Evanston Police Cmdr. Ryan Glew said at a news conference. The SRO and safety staff responded to a report of individuals possibly smoking cannabis in a school bathroom at 9:32 a.m., Glew said. 

The SRO and safety staff also detained six other students who were in the bathroom at the time the guns were recovered, Glew said. ETHS was placed on a lockdown after the guns were found. All eight students who were either believed to have been involved or were present in the bathroom during the incident are minors, Glew said.

No injuries were reported and no shots were fired in the incident, Glew said. 

After officers checked classrooms, students were released from the building’s main entrance around 12:40 p.m. 

Glew said at this time the recovery of the two guns does not appear related to a Nov. 28 shooting on Green Bay Road that killed one teenager and injured four. An investigation is still ongoing. 

ETHS will provide parents with more information on student dismissals and other updates regarding the incident. Evanston Police Department will also continue to provide updates, Glew said.

Evanston City Council will hold a previously scheduled special meeting Monday addressing gun violence and community outreach efforts.

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Evanston Township High School under lockdown after two guns found