Dupage Policy Journal

DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin has charged an Edison Middle School student for threatening the school.

The 12-year-old boy was arrested and charged with "Disorderly Conduct - Threat to a School” after allegedly making threatening statements to the school. The sixth grader went before a judge for a detention hearing on May 26 before being released to his mother’s care.

“School safety remains a top priority of my administration and we will continue to be proactive in identifying students who are in need of services in order to prevent acts of violence,” Berlin said. “Students must know however that threats such as alleged in this case are no joking matter. Every threat involving a juvenile must be fully investigated by law enforcement and where appropriate, will turned be over to authorities in the juvenile justice system.”

Berlin thanked Edison Middle School authorities for their cooperation, the Wheaton Police Department, Detective Stelmar and others for their work on this case.

“I also thank Assistant State’s Attorneys Denis Cahill and Lynn Cavallo for their efforts,” Berlin said.

Wheaton Chief of Police William Murphy also commented on the investigation.  

“This is an excellent example of the partnership we have with CUSD200 in maintaining a safe school environment,” Murphy said. “Early intervention and open communication are essential in cases like this to ensure the safety of our children, teachers and staff.”

Berlin was one of the charter members of the DuPage County School Safety Task Force which was created after the Sandy Hook School shooting in 2012, according to his website.

The group is meant to identify and act on potential mass shooters before they are able to act.

The arrest is not unprecedented, the Daily Herald reported.

In 2018, Berlin and Naperville Police Chief Robert Marshall arrested and charged a Naperville Unit District 203 student who threatened to "shoot up the school.”

Edison Middle School has around 790 students and 55 teachers, according to U.S. News.

The school includes those in sixth through eighth grade.