By Jim Hagerty
Reporter

BELVIDERE – Lockdowns have been lifted at Belvidere North High School, Central Middle School and Seth Whitman Elementary School after a threatening 911 was reportedly made Thursday morning. 

Police say 911 dispatchers received the call at around 8:30 a.m. While details of the call have not been released, spokesmen say the caller indicated a possible threat at Belvidere North High School.

The high school and the two buildings in the immediate vicinity were immediately placed on lockdown following the call. A media and law-enforcement staging area was set up in the ShopKo parking lot.

Central Middle School and Seth Whitman Elementary School will resume their normal schedules Thursday. Students at Belvidere North have been dismissed for the day while authorities conduct a follow-up investigation. 

“We are following up leads,” Boone County Sheriff Dave Ernest said. “If anybody has any information whatsoever about the person that may been responsible for the phone call that we received today, we would really appreciate you calling the police department, Crime Stoppers, wherever, to get us that information so we can follow up on it. This is zero tolerance community. We do not put up with this stuff. We need the community’s help. When we catch this person, they will be held to the fullest accountability that the law provides.”

Ernest said students and staff remained calm during the incident. No injuries were reported. 

All after-school activities at Belvidere North and Central Middle School are cancelled for Thursday.