Police who thwarted a potential school shooting in Illinois this week say they discovered a detailed 29-page threat in a journal that belonged to a 16-year-old suspect.
According to an alert from the Peoria County State's Attorney's office Monday, "a possible school shooting by a Peoria teen" was stopped after detectives were alerted by officials from another county who noticed a group of teens using a chat messaging platform to "plan a school shooting."
Officials said the teens, one of whom was from Peoria County and two others who were from another unnamed county, were using the platform Discord, and messages included a plan to "stockpile weapons."
"The Peoria teen detailed the threat in a 29-page journal recovered by police," the state's attorney's office said in a release. "The journal included drawings, building layouts, and research into the juvenile court system and potential criminal charges."
The 16-year-old was charged with making a terrorist threat, disorderly conduct and conspiracy -- all felonies. The teen is being held by the Peoria County Juvenile Detention Center "and will remain there to ensure the community's safety." Prosecutors have filed petitions to try the teen as an adult.
Officials did not reveal the names of the schools involved.
“School safety is a top priority. I want to reassure the public that thanks to the quick action by law enforcement, there is currently no school or student in danger from this threat," Peoria County State’s Attorney Jodi M. Hoos said in a statement. "This is just one example of how we are constantly monitoring this area and focusing on keeping students safe.”
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