UPDATE: (2:05 p.m.) — A spokeswoman for Peoria Public Schools said all afterschool activities at at Peoria and Manual high schools are canceled in the wake of internet rumors regarding possible violence.
Also affected: Richwoods High School, Trewyn, Annie Jo Gordon Community Learning Center and Elise Ford Allen Academy said Haleemah Na’Allah. She had initially said Harold B. Dawson Middle School was affected but that was incorrect, she later said.
The PPS spokeswoman said in an emailed statement that “Our safety team is working closely with the Peoria Police Department to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Both parties are actively monitoring today’s dismissal at the impacted schools, and all after-school activities are canceled.”
Schools were not on soft or hard lockdowns, she said.
The statements come in the wake of five people being shot late Wednesday night and three others on Thursday morning. Social media lit up Thursday with rumors about possible violence at the schools after students were dismissed for the day.
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PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — The Peoria Federation of Teachers is asking city leaders to declare a state of emergency Thursday after recent violence across the city.
According to a Facebook post, the Federation stated that Peoria is out of control and is hoping city leaders can take immediate action to bring a stop to the killings.
“Tackling the problem at its root is the right approach; however, that takes years. In the meantime, something drastic needs to be done to bring the shooting and killing to an immediate halt,” the Federation stated. “As teachers, part of our curriculum is to teach students to have hope and to capitalize on that hope. It must seem completely abstract, however, given the realities our students see in their city on a daily basis.”
The full statement is available here.
