Yorkville police responded in force to calls reporting someone with a gun in front of St. Patrick's Catholic Church on Monday afternoon.
"It was mayhem for a while," Police Chief Richard Hart said after it was all over late Monday afternoon.
Sometime between 4:30 and 4:45 p.m., a 911 call reported a young man carrying a handgun, Hart said. That is about the same time children show up to the church for religious studies classes, said Father Matt Lamoureux, pastor of St. Patrick's.
Hart said he was one of the first officers to respond and they found a 17-year-old juvenile male in the parking lot carrying what Hart described as an Airsoft pistol that looked like a lethal handgun. Police descended on the juvenile with weapons drawn, Hart said.
Hart said his officers keep high-powered rifles in the squad car to respond to situations involving firearms.
Hart said he does not think the juvenile pointed the weapon at anyone, but questioned why he was walking around with it, especially on the heels of the worst school shooting in U.S. history.
"I don't know if he was looking for attention, but he got it in the form of a lot of guns being pointed at him," Hart said.
Hart said he expects the juvenile will face disorderly conduct charges, but could not say late Monday afternoon exactly which charges would be filed.
On Tuesday afternoon police said the juvenile was charged with disorderly conduct in violation of a city ordinance pertaining to air guns and was released to his parents.
Lamoureux said they're relieved everything was OK and thankful no one was hurt.
Patch will update this story as more information becomes available.
st patrick's church does not permit the pocession of airsoft guns on their property this isn't a "kid" he is a juivanile under 18 he knows what he was doing and quite frankly i found it quite terrifying
is when you can try to justify this teen's poor decision
Even the Patch over-reacts with the headline. Really, "a man"? "carrying a gun"? Cindy B.-- I, too, wish there were a "Like" button here. Very well said. I don't think anyone is wanting to "justify" the young person's choice in what he did. I think everyone would agree it was ignorant of the juvenile. This young mans parent or parents should have had a long discussion with him long today. I believe this incident will help not only his poor decision but hopefully his parent(s) and any other's that have learned by/from it. For any that don't wish to Google it and learn what the law is in Illinois, here is a link: http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/ilstatutes/720/535 -- AIR RIFLE ACT or try: http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=1934&ChapterID=53
A grown man, that works for Kendall County, pulls a REAL loaded gun out, and points it at unarmed people in a crowded shopping center, and he gets.... what exactly? This county has is priorities COMPLETELY messed up.
Quit justifing the right to carry it. How about you as "concerned" Adults ask yourself what business he had out and about with it? If this were in some other area of the state or Country we very well could have another dead child and then what would you be saying? "Damn you police for over reacting?" Maybe if we werent so afraid of offending anyone or worring about our children not being our friends then maybe these idiots that keep shooting up places would think twice about disrespecting thier parents or thinking about killing innocent people.
Again, I can speak for myself, I wasn't trying to justify the decision made by the juvenile to carry the airsoft gun near a church. I was looking for clarity as far as the law is written. So sorry for all who had to witness this first hand and for the trauma their child or their family went through. I'm sure it was truly frightening.
Jen if your so intrested in the law and have enough time to make pointless lengthy statements, you should use your time wisely and research the law and spend some time looking up (the meaning) of how ( to use ) these little (curved) line things properly!
And, yes, no trespassing since he was standing in a driveway across the street from the church.