A school shooting at an elementary school in Illinois may have been stopped at the last possible second on Friday, and once again the difference between another national tragedy and a quiet local news story appears to have come down to sheer luck and one person acting fast.

According to the Will County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called to a home in Plainfield Township shortly before 1 p.m. after reports of a suicidal juvenile armed with a gun. By the time police arrived, a relative had already tackled the suspect to the ground and was physically pinning him there while calling 911. Investigators later said the juvenile had allegedly been on his way to carry out a shooting at Grand Prairie Elementary School.

Authorities recovered a Glock handgun along with a backpack containing multiple loaded magazines, knives, gloves, an accelerant, and other items. Officials also said the suspect made both suicidal and homicidal statements to first responders at the scene before being taken to a hospital for evaluation. As of the latest reports, no charges had yet been filed.

The suspect was later identified by school officials as a freshman connected to Plainfield Central High School who reportedly had not attended school since December and had a documented history of poor attendance. Authorities have not said where the gun came from.

One detail that probably kept this story from becoming far worse is timing. The incident occurred after students had already been dismissed due to an early release on the final day of school. Staff members still inside district buildings were reportedly placed into lockdown while police increased their presence around school property for the rest of the day.

What stands out most here is how incredibly close this appears to have been. The reporting across multiple Chicago-area news outlets paints a picture that goes well beyond a vague online threat or some teenager making disturbing comments. Investigators say the suspect was already on his way to the school when the relative intervened. Had that family member not acted immediately, there is a very real possibility this would now be a national story with grieving parents standing in front of television cameras.

Instead, it became another near miss that most of the country will probably never hear about.

That is increasingly the reality in the United States. Thanks to the sheer proliferation of firearms in this country, we are constantly one impulsive decision or one unsecured weapon away from another catastrophe unfolding. Sometimes the only thing standing between an ordinary school day and a mass casualty event is a parent, sibling, or relative recognizing the danger quickly enough to physically stop it themselves.

This time, someone did.

(Sources)

• Boy Accused In School Shooting Plot Is Plainfield Central Freshman: District 202
• Chicago-area boy had planned school shooting, had gun, ammunition, police say
• Relative stops juvenile’s alleged elementary school shooting plot in Will County
• Plainfield high school student accused of plotting shooting at elementary school
• Relative stops Plainfield high school student’s Joliet elementary school shooting plot: officials