Chicago Mother Says Park District Failed To Call Police After Her Son Was Threatened
CHICAGO (CBS)-- Parents send their kids to summer camp with an with an expectation they will be safe. This was not the case, for a Chicago mother who said the Park District failed to call police, when her son was the target of a death threat on Snapchat.
This mother was enraged when she was the first one to contact Chicago police about the incident. Despite the online death threats involving kids at a Park District camp, the Park District said they only go to police when the threat of violence happens in one of their parks.
Twelve-year-old Raleigh attended camp at the Seward Park District camp.
Chalonda Macintosh, Raleighs mom, read threatening messages from a Snapchat group that said "in real life I'm going to kill him." Another message said, "you know I'm going to have my gun on me."
At least one camper threatening to kill her son, in a group filled with a handful of other kids, enrolled in the same park district camp.
Macintosh said an argument involving her son and another boy started at the camp, later escalating online.
The Park District said that if it doesn't happen on park property, it doesn't get reported to police.
A picture of a realistic looking gun was shared in the group and messages like "Just know I'm gone have my gun on me."
"You see something, you say something that's what we tell the kids," Macintosh said.
She said the Park District didn't do enough.
"The Park District didn't do anything," she said.
The messages were turned into a Park District employee by one of the kids in the group. Macintosh and other parents were notified.
But, police were not contacted by the Park District despite the threat of violence. Instead, Macintosh filed a report with the 18th District herself, that's why's she's frustrated.
"What, he has to get shot for in order for you to have a protocol?" she said.
Macintosh's son and one of the kids in the chat were suspended for four days. The parents involved did meet and come to some sort of understanding. But Macintosh is still troubled that park district didn't initiate the contact with police.
