Niles Police respond to bogus bomb threat at Northridge Preparatory School

Niles police responded to a report of a bomb threat at Northridge Preparatory School on Friday morning and determined it to be unfounded. Police said there were no credible threats to any schools in Niles.

According to a Niles Police Department news release, at 9:35 a.m. police were forwarded an email from a news media outlet stating that a bomb had been placed in “Ballard Elementary School.” No such school exists in Niles, Illinois, but a Niles, Michigan school bears that name.

However, because Northridge Preparatory School is on Ballard Road, Niles Police responded to the school, notified the school’s administration, and requested a Cook County Sheriff’s Police explosives canine to respond to the scene. Police said the trained dog did not locate any explosives after a search.

According to police, a similar threat was emailed to Niles, Michigan. Northridge Preparatory School, located at 8320 West Ballard Road, is a private, Catholic college preparatory school for boys serving grades 6 through 12.

Northridge Preparatory School was not evacuated during the response to the incident, according to police.

Police said the incident is under investigation.