PILSEN — A Pilsen high school went on lockdown after shots were fired outside the school Monday, officials said.
At about 12:15 p.m., a parent was outside Benito Juarez Community Academy at Cermak Avenue and Laflin Street when a car drove past, stopped and began shooting, Juarez Principal Juan Carlos Ocon said in a message to the school community. No one was injured, police said.
After calling police, Ocon initiated a lockdown at the school at 12:25 p.m., he said. Police arrived at the school to check the perimeter and determined the campus was secure. The lockdown was lifted at 12:37 p.m., Ocon said.
A 39-year-old man, a 19-year-old man and a 14-year-old girl were walking on the 1400 Block of West Cermak Road when someone got out of an SUV and began shooting in their direction, said Sgt. Rocco Alioto, a police spokesperson. The shooter fled the scene, he said.
A source close to the situation confirmed police found no immediate threat to the school.
The principal said police will be present during the school’s dismissal.
“Please know we take the safety of our school community extremely seriously. We will be available to provide extra support to any students who are concerned about this incident and need ongoing services,” Ocon said in a statement.
A spokesperson for Chicago Public Schools could not be immediately reached for comment.
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