Oak Lawn-Hometown District 123 schools close after ‘swatting incident’

All schools in Oak Lawn-Hometown Elementary District 123 were closed Friday after an unsubstantiated swatting incident was aimed at Kolmar Avenue Elementary School, 10425 Kolmar Ave., officials said.

At 7:16 a.m. Friday, officials issued a school safety message alerting students, families and staff that District 123 would be closed for the day.

Swatting refers to purposely falsely reporting a threat to emergency services so law enforcement responds to a certain address.

“We recognize that situations like this are extremely unsettling for the entirety of the community,” Superintendent Paul J. Enderle said in a statement. “The safety of our students, families, and staff is, and always will be, our highest priority, and we will continue to communicate clearly and promptly as more information becomes available.”

District 123 said its leadership and staff continue to plan next steps while working closely with the Oak Lawn and Hometown police departments and said the investigation remains active.

All weekend activities and events at district schools are canceled and will be rescheduled at a later date, the district said.

Cam’ron Hardy is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/30/oak-lawn-district-123-swatting-threat/