All schools in Oak Lawn-Hometown School District 123 were shut down Friday after administrators received a threatening message aimed at Kolmar Avenue Elementary, prompting a police investigation and an early morning scramble for families across the district.
District posts emergency alert
The district issued an online alert Friday morning saying it had received “a very serious and threatening message directed at Kolmar School” and that, out of what it called an “extreme abundance of caution,” every District 123 building would be closed for the day. Because of the timing of the threat, the district said the closure would be treated as an emergency day, not a planned remote-learning switch, and no e-learning would be offered.
In a statement on the district website, Superintendent Paul J. Enderle urged families to follow law-enforcement guidance and to heed all instructions from authorities, according to District 123.
Oak Lawn police investigating
News outlets quickly picked up the alert, reporting that Oak Lawn police are actively investigating the threat. As reported by ABC7 Chicago, the district said it would share another update later in the day as the investigation moves forward.
What parents and students were told
The district’s message instructed families to stay away from school buildings unless they were specifically directed to go by law enforcement, and it urged anyone with information about the threat to contact Oak Lawn police.
“We know this kind of message is upsetting. Our priority is the safety of students and staff, and we will continue to communicate clearly as we learn more,” the district wrote on its website, adding that it would “send another update later today,” according to District 123.
Local context: disruptive hoax threats
Hoax threats and anonymous calls have repeatedly rattled schools in the south suburbs, triggering lockdowns or heightened police presence even when the claims are ultimately cleared. Local reporting has documented similar incidents affecting Oak Lawn and nearby districts in recent years, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
