* Wednesday…
Police have arrested a suspect for making numerous bomb threats to public libraries, businesses, suburban governments and at least one police station during approximately the past seven weeks, according to information from the Niles, Morton Grove and Skokie police departments.
Jacob N. Spiro, 23, of the 4600 block of Davis Street, Skokie, was arrested Monday in Niles by Niles police with the assistance of Morton Grove police and the FBI Joint Terrorist Task Force, police said in statements. […]
Niles police said 11 threats occurred in Niles and Morton Grove police said 12 occurred in Morton Grove, including some directed at the Morton Grove Library, the Village of Morton Grove and businesses.
Skokie police said in a statement that 16 threats were made in Skokie.
* This morning…
Aurora police arrested and charged a 23-year-old Skokie man determined to be responsible for making the bomb threats against all three Aurora libraries in September, officials said.
Jacob Spiro, of the 4600 block of Davis Street, was charged with two counts of disorderly conduct, false bomb threats, after he was brought into custody Thursday following the issuance of an arrest warrant out of Kane County.
Aurora police worked in cooperation with the North Regional Major Crimes Task Force to investigate the bomb threats made Sept. 12 and Sept. 14 against the libraries located at 101 S. River St., 233 S. Constitution Drive and 555 S. Eola Road.
All three libraries were evacuated around 2:40 p.m. Sept. 12 after police were dispatched to investigate and conduct a physical search at each location, finding no devices, Patch reported. […]
The Skokie man is currently being held in the Cook County jail for unrelated charges, according to spokesperson Joseph Howe, who said additional charges for Spiro have not been ruled out.
- Flyin'Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Friday, Oct 13, 23 @ 11:13 am:
I’ve never been a doomsdayer, but man, things are coming seriously unglued.
- Sox Fan - Friday, Oct 13, 23 @ 11:15 am:
He’s currently being held at Cook County jail. SAFE-T act seems to be working again
- Norseman - Friday, Oct 13, 23 @ 11:19 am:
Elvis, I came to that conclusion when an attorney neighbor told me the furries litter boxes in school was true. Our great nation has become a gullible nation. Much to the risk of our democracy.
- Huh? - Friday, Oct 13, 23 @ 11:28 am:
The supposed anonymity of the internet, lack of shame, and failure to hold people accountable for their actions is the feature of our society today.
Many people think they can get away with doing or saying anything they want without repercussion, claiming “infringement of their rights”.
What ever happened to “live and let live”? Politeness and civility? Keeping your mouth shut if you didn’t have something nice to say?
My grandmother was a small town librarian. She was a conservative republican. What is going on these days would have appalled her to no end. Banning books, bomb threats, board meeting protests.
I’m getting too old for this
- Give Us Barabbas - Friday, Oct 13, 23 @ 11:38 am:
Seems like the guy calling in the threats is um, call it “neurodivergent”, let’s say. But his kind are being wound-up by operatives in the conservative political party movements and foriegn disinformation campaigns. The only antidote to this is more and better journalism and education, but neither of those get enough money to be effective.
- Arguenda - Friday, Oct 13, 23 @ 11:49 am:
@barabbas…. please don’t confuse a mental health issue or bad intentions with neurodivergence. It really makes us neuro-diverse folks look bad.
- Give Us Barabbas - Friday, Oct 13, 23 @ 12:48 pm:
Not sure if that’s snark but to err on the side of friendly accommodation and respect I withdraw the sobriquet and replace it with nut job.
- ArchPundit - Friday, Oct 13, 23 @ 12:52 pm:
===Our great nation has become a gullible nation. Much to the risk of our democracy.
It’s not new though. Remember the Satanic Panic? Still my favorite Pantagraph story is the blaring headlines of Satanic Worship coming to McLean County because a sheep was found butchered. A few days later a much smaller story about how it was a farmer’s dog.
- ArchPundit - Friday, Oct 13, 23 @ 12:54 pm:
Very happy to see law enforcement coordinating on this. Often these kind of cases fall between the cracks because of the overlapping jurisdictions and capabilities. My guess is the number of people making the threats isn’t that large, but it seems so because of the suspect in this case making so many calls/threats.
- JoanP - Friday, Oct 13, 23 @ 12:59 pm:
@ Give Us Barabbas -
“Neurodivergent” is a term used to describe people who process information differently, such as those on the autism spectrum.
It is NOT a synonym/euphemism or whatever for mental illness (not “nut job”).
- The Truth - Friday, Oct 13, 23 @ 1:32 pm:
I’m not a detective, but I’m guessing he’s the guy who did all the McHenry County bomb threats, too.
- Dotnonymous x - Friday, Oct 13, 23 @ 1:55 pm:
- Our great nation has become a gullible nation. -
There’s always been a small gullible portion…the problem began when they were trusted to help run the show…with nothing but volume.
- Dotnonymous x - Friday, Oct 13, 23 @ 2:15 pm:
I’ll be glad when the antiquated terms (Concept) Mental and/or Physical are retired and forgotten…replaced with the word Health… referring to a state of complete emotional, mental, and physical well-being.
Body, Mind and Spirit are inextricably intertwined and cannot be parsed apart…conceptually.
By the way, this is the kinda stuff they hide from book banners…in books.
- Dotnonymous x - Friday, Oct 13, 23 @ 3:30 pm:
- I’ve never been a doomsdayer, but man, things are coming seriously unglued. -
I feel you…when I feel this way, I take two Dilly Bars and watch The Andy Griffith Show…so I can sit in Floyd’s Barber Shop…and breathe easy.