Threat to Bartlett High School Not Local, Sparks Federal Investigation

Police now have reason to believe a Sept. 10 telephone threat targeting Bartlett High School was not locally-sourced, with a federal investigation now underway, the Bartlett Police Department told the Tribune Thursday.

Local police were notified on the afternoon of September 10 by the National Suicide Hotline of a potential threat of violence against Bartlett High School, leading to the cancellation of after-school activities and the deployment of additional security patrols during school hours. Eastview Middle School, Bartlett High School, and several local elementary schools were placed on “secure building” status, with secured and monitored entrances.

On Thursday, Bartlett police said they were working with federal partners, including the Justice Department, on a “complex investigation” to determine the origin of the call. Investigators discovered “numerous VPN and proxy servers” used to disguise the caller’s identity, some of which were located outside the United States, police said.

The Justice Department declined to comment on whether there was a specific investigation.

While other threats to local schools in recent weeks have been spread on social media, the threat to Bartlett in the northwest suburbs came via phone calls to a suicide hotline. Dozens of schools in Chicago and its surrounding suburbs have received threats of violence since the start of the current school year.