This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Crime & Safety

No. 4 of 2011: Threats at St. Peter School

An envelope containing white powder, a bomb threat and evacuation are upsetting any time, but when school children and a religious institution are involved, it's serious stuff.

  • Editor's note: This is the seventh in a 10-part countdown of the top stories on Geneva Patch in 2011. These 10 are my choices. At the end of each story, you'll get a chance to pick your own top story. I strongly encourage you to click on the links to the original story or stories, because that's where you'll find the stepping stones of this trip down memory lane.

 

According to one Patch measuring stick, was the most-read story on Geneva Patch in 2011. In subsequent write-throughs that day, the article headline was modified to .

Sometime before school opened on a Monday, Nov. 14, someone threw a rock through a window of an office at the school, located on the St. Peter Church campus at 1881 Kaneville Road.

Find out what's happening in Genevawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

While cleaning up the glass, someone found an envelope containing white powder. At around 10 a.m., school administrators, along with Geneva police and fire officials decided to put the school into lockdown.

The Aurora Fire Department was called in and determined that the white powder was a "non-threatening household product."

Find out what's happening in Genevawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

After "a couple of hours," according to a , students and teachers returned to their usual classroom routine. 

At 1:46 p.m., Geneva police were again dispatched to the school. The St. Peter press release said "someone outside the school"—whether a student, a school or parish employee, a public official or a bystander was never made public—reported that a man in a white mini-van said the building would be blown up if it was not evacuated.

Police said the man was white, about 40 years old with short brown hair, blue eyes and a medium build. He had "a couple days' unshaven face." The report said the white minivan had tinted windows.

St. Peter School Principal Roseann Feldmann ordered emergency school building evacuation procedures. The school, church, chapel and parish offices were evacuated.

The school was reopened the next day, with a healthy escort of Geneva police. There have since been no reports of incidents at the school or church.

St. Peter Church this year celebrated its in the community. There were a number of picnics, weekly charity events and celebrations culminating with a luncheon and visit from on July 10.

 

Read:

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.