- Local every day in
UPDATE: Airsoft Gun Incident Puts Geneva Schools in Lockdown
Three young adults are charged with reckless conduct, but the school is not involved. Here are the full details.
0
of
0
Elle Fowler, 18, of Aurora, left, and Michael Thompson, 20, of Oswego.
Kane County Sheriff's Office
Photos (4)
Photos
Two Oswego men and one Aurora woman were charged with reckless conduct after a traffic stop Monday near a Geneva school that involved an Airsoft gun, police said.
"Due to the nature of the call Geneva schools were placed on lockdown until the incident was resolved," said a statement from the Kane County Sheriff's Office. "Deputies did recover an air soft pistol that closely resembles a handgun."
The incident first began south of the area at about 3:15 pm, the Sheriff's statement said. The three people charged were in at least one vehicle in the area of Route 30 and Route 47 near Sugar Grove when someone inside one car fired several shots, from what initially appeared to be some sort of pistol, at the other car.
The person that was fired upon followed the offending vehicle into South Mill Creek. By the time deputies were able to catch up to the vehicle they had stopped at the intersection of South Mill Creek Drive and Fabyan Parkway. At that time deputies were able to take the three people in the offending vehicle into custody.
The Fabyan Elementary School property, 0S350 Grengs Lane, is located at the intersection where the arrest took place. Dismissal had taken place already and most of the students were already gone for the day when the incident occurred.
"The arrest(s) took place near the school but the school was not involved," said Lt. Pat Gengler, Kane County Sheriff's Office spokesman, in a brief note preceding the statement.
Geneva School District 304 issued a statement on its website late Monday night.
"Due to the nature of the call, Geneva schools in the vicinity of the stop were placed on lockdown. However, school had already dismissed, and most of the students were already gone for the day when the incident occurred," it said. "Fabyan was on lockdown for fewer than 15 minutes, Geneva Middle School North for several minutes, and Geneva Middle School South was in the process of being notified by police when the incident ended."
The following three people were charged with Reckless Conduct, a misdemeanor:
- Elle Fowler, 18, 3000 block of Thunderbird Court, Aurora
- Hector Rubio, 18, 200 block of Bluegrass Parkway, Oswego
- Michael Thompson, 20, first block of Oakwood Drive, Oswego
Here's our initial report:
The Kane County Sheriff's Office requested that at least one Geneva elementary school and both Geneva middle schools be put on lockdown as of about 3:35 p.m., according to reports from Patch readers.
Reports say Fabyan Elementary School was on lockdown and squad cars were at Mill Creek Elementary, as well.
Details are limited at this time, but a car was stopped—reportedly at Fabyan Parkway and Mill Creek Drive—possibly occupied by people who have a gun. The people in the car were reportedly involved in a road-rage incident, in which they fired shots at another party.
From TriCom scanner reports, this doesn't sound like it has anything to do with the incident a few days ago at Mill Creek Elementary, where a parent disrupted the classroom.
As of 3:40 p.m., sheriff's personnel were lifting the lockdown at all the schools.
Dispatchers are saying that the gun used was an airsoft gun, and no one is in danger.
Patch will follow up when more information is available from official sources.
Thanks. We'll email you the next time we update this story.
Julie
6:59 pm on Monday, January 14, 2013
Fools. I'm glad they are all adults and can be charged as such. I'd like to see them serve just a little jail time for their stupidity! Sure scared the kids that were left in the school buildings, I'm sure.
Chuck
7:48 pm on Monday, January 14, 2013
Glad they weren't conservative bullies that need to be put in their place....
Lisa R
8:46 pm on Monday, January 14, 2013
My daughter was in the lock down at the middle school and trust me, that is not the text you EVER want to get from your child, especially in the current climate. She was ushered into an office, lights shut off, windows covered, and told to be quiet. Perfect training and execution but all the kids could think about was Sandy Hook. It was perhaps the scariest thing we've ever experienced as a family. I thank the Patch for giving us information as to the circumstances as the school provided very little information.
Maria
9:15 pm on Monday, January 14, 2013
I'm sorry the kids had to go through that. It's actually enraging to think that this all happened because of some idiotic behavior. I also hope they'll get some jail time.
ck
9:47 pm on Monday, January 14, 2013
What is wrong with these kids these days? Hope they get to sit in jail for a while and think about how stupid they are.
Mark
5:53 am on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Ahhh yes, jail is the answer to everything. Teenage kids do someone really stupid and people want to lock them away. Do you have any concept how dangerous a jail is? Trust me, dumb teenagers that commit a small scale crime are the exception not the rule in the county jails. Having worked as a part time officer for years, I am sure the experience of being taken into custody will be a powerful memory of their bad decision. As a society lets use our heads and realize that not everyone needs to be locked up for their poor decisions.
Julie
6:41 am on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
I disagree, Mark. A few nights in jail is exactly what these kids need. If they are 18-20 years old and make the decision to use a gun to shoot at another vehicle, then certainly they should understand what the consequences should be. I wonder if you would feel differently if it was you or your loved one they were shooting at or if it was your child that was ushered into a closet at school with the lights off and told to remain absolutely silent. What do you think the teachers and those kids were thinking about when they were scared a mad man might be coming for them? If all teenage kids that were taken into custody were affected like you say they are, then why are there even youth homes? We're not talking about a little prank here. And, because you were a part time officer, you should know that a BB gun or even an air soft gun can be identical to a real gun. Those kids are lucky they weren't fired upon by the police, because if they would have brandished that weapon in front of any officer, they would have been shot.
Chris Kenny
7:20 am on Wednesday, April 17, 2013
A voice of reason. Not every error in judgement is criminal. Too many people in today's society are quick to judge. As far as the terrorized children go, that is on whomever thought it necessary to lock the children in darkened closets. I agree with John and Jessica below that it is hard to know just how serious any given incident like this may be. Damned if you do and dammed if you don't. If the police had over-reacted in this case someone would have been shot and that doesn't seem to be the case here. Nothing to look at here - move along now.
Jessica
7:10 am on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Perfectly said Julie! Perfectly said! People think that all these gun incidents are no big deal and police are over reacting ( like the incident with the boy walking through Geneva with a gun a few weeks ago). As Julie said, I bet you would not feel the same if it was one of your loved ones. If the police do nothing people are angry, but if the police are cautious they are over reacting. You cannot have it both ways. With society the way it is today I would rather have police officers over react than to have regret later. Great job Kane County sheriff's Office and Geneva PD!
John Walsh
9:43 am on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
And if the police under-reacted, and this was a serrious incident....heaven help us.
Martha Hanna
7:51 am on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
The NRA has a new app that a 4 year old can play on a phone...it's called AK-47...isn't that just what the kids need!!!
John
2:42 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Better then the new app from the anti gun folks "Pretend guns dont exist and lets not blame the nuts who use illegal guns since legal guns are not the issue since crime has fallen 49% with the larger access to guns"App.. Your character is this stupid liberal wack job who thinks banning guns will stop the violence created by illegal guns which are not bought or sold legally but usually stolen or smuggled in. Then your character whines and cries then demands free housing, free food, free money , but doesn't wanna have limits or requirments put on them since this is a free country. I know the character sounds like a nut that doesn't understand reality but then again they are just a character and not like a real person would believe in that kinda stuff...oh wait...
Martha Hanna
7:57 am on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Excuse me..the new app from the NRA is called "Practice Range" another great game for the kids!!! Thank you NRA, you guys really know how to make our country safe. NRA= guns and money. yay!
NOYB
8:00 am on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
What parent would let their kid play those games? Excuse me -- where's the problem??? I don't agree with such games AT ALL, but it's the parent's job to NOT let the child play such games -- even as they get older.
No more taxes
9:52 am on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
I'm in favor of very big fines instead of jail.. $10000 each will make kids think twice about behaving this way. Take the car they were driving too. Probation is a slap on the wrist for some. Hurt the pocketbook so when they have to work to pay it off they will understand and not do it again.
Anthony
7:01 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
I'm sure these 18-20 yr olds have $10,000.
Gary
4:41 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
A night or two in the pokey will be more educational that a big fine that their parents wouold probably pay for them
Barbara Szemplinski
8:53 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Throwing ANY projectile out of a car can land you in jail for YEARS. It's the law, look it up. They will be lucky if they only do a few days! They may have ruined their future for such a dumb prank.
Charles Menchaca
9:26 am on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Hi everyone, we've got an update on this story. The three people arrested did not spend much time in jail after the initial arrest. Here's when they posted bond: http://patch.com/A-1hKK —Charles Menchaca, Editor, Batavia Patch
Dick Kaplan
2:35 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Julie & Jessica........ You have much to learn..... Mark is very correct.... you need to think things through before you let anger cloud your judgement... there is much more going on here that you apparently have never thought about. Uneducated, Anger based response's only help to make problems worse then they all ready are. Spend some time communicating with people involved with our prisons and young adults.... I believe you'll come away with a different point of view.
Girl54
2:48 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
I feel horrible for the kchildren at those schools...minutes can seem like hours to a child and what has been going on recently in schools and other public places I can't even imagine how scared they were.
These young adults have so much growing up to do...They need to learn to think before they act...18 is a legal age of an adult and they should act like accordingly I know people younger than these fools that behave more like adults.
Julie
3:02 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Exactly, Girl54. Some of those students were very scared and some were actually crying while being forced to hide. I think we all know what some of them were thinking that was going to happen to them. Yet Dick thinks we should have more sympathy for the three young adults who didn't think there would be consequences for using a gun to fire at another vehicle. Dick thinks spending a night or two in jail might be too phychologically damaging to them. What about the kids forced into a dark closet, some of them crying..but told to try to stop crying so no one could hear them? Think about the psychological and emotional trauma inflicted upon the innocent, Dick. Again, there is no way I would ever change my point of view from what it is now.
Julie
2:49 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Dick, I am entitled to my opinion and it still stands as I wrote it the first time. These are not 13 year olds who egged a car, they are "adults" who should know better. Do you not think firing any kind of weapon is a serious offense? And now I will ask you, if it were you or your wife or kid that was in the other car, you wouldn't feel that they need to learn a lesson? I think a night or two in jail or the youth home is a good place for them. I'm not angry and I still feel these "adults" need a wake-up call. What if the other car got into a serious accident because of their CHOICE to shoot at it? What if an officer shot and killed one of those "adults" because they witnessed them shooting at another car? Also, what do you think about the kids in the elementary school and middle school who were forced to hide in a dark room, scared? I think it's you who should come away with a different point of view. Also, lets face it, none of these "adults" are going to do any jail time anyway.
Dick Kaplan
3:03 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
The parents are as much to blame for their children's bad behavior... but only to a point.... these kids and their parents won't learn what they need to learn, with any of you not very well thought out suggestions..... sadly...... Think about this.... remember back in High school.... when I was 16 and went through Drivers Ed. I was shown very graphic films showing the results of driving poorly... mandatory classes for our children is a step in the right direction.... We can't force the parents to participate.... but hopefully their kid's would educate their parents..... novel concept...! EMT's and Emergency Room Doctors & Nurses and Policeman could run field trips, etc., where these kids could see with there own eyes what happens in real life.... not just in the movies and television.... "Hollywood"....... Also I'm sure that they could find some ex-gang members that would love to have the opportunity to come and show our children the cold hard facts about the world they grew up in..... Do any of these ideas sound more productive then those listed above...??? Make a difference.... become part of the solution instead of part of the problem.....!!!!! Think, then open your mouths....!
Julie
3:16 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Again, these are 18+ year olds. I'm not exactly sure what all of your writing is trying to say, but the schools DO bring in people like you write about to try to teach students to follow the good paths. Most do, some do not. The three adults you seem to be protecting more than the innocent people affected are the ones who need to THINK. Are you saying that these adults didn't know any better? Give me a break.
Dick Kaplan
3:06 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Sorry Julie..... you just proved my point...! Where in anything I said, did I say you aren't entitled to your opinion.....???
Julie
3:21 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Uh, I'm pretty sure that writing that my original entry was provoked by anger, uneducated and that my point of view needed to change would be a start. I think we shall agree to disagree on this topic.
Jack
2:37 pm on Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Airsoft guns are not BB guns. The pellets are very different and the wounding potential is very different.
Patch Editors and professional writers do the community a disservice when they use verbal short-cuts that tend to mislead.
Charles Menchaca
2:49 pm on Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Jack, thanks for your comment. I've updated the headline and story to clarify that this was strictly an Airsoft-related situation. —Charles Menchaca, Editor, Batavia Patch