School Staff Hindered Police Inquiry into Pilsen High School Shooting Incident

In the aftermath of a tragic mass shooting at Benito Juarez High School just before Christmas 2022, which resulted in the deaths of two students and injuries to two others, significant delays and roadblocks in cooperation with the police investigation have been revealed. Illinois Answers Project discovered through public documents and sources that the school’s principal, Juan Carlos Ocon, and some staffers initially hindered the investigation by claiming CPS policy violations in sharing information with the police. This resistance persisted for about three hours immediately following the incident and for weeks afterwards, with some staff members and the principal requiring threats of grand jury subpoenas before they would cooperate.
Detectives sought access to school surveillance video, interviews with student witnesses, and other records related to the students involved, including the suspected shooter, a former student of CPS. Their efforts were met with delays that law enforcement sources said cost valuable time in gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses. This delay possibly contributed to the suspect’s involvement in another shooting before his arrest eight weeks later.
Despite the tension and the initial refusal to cooperate, attributed to a misinterpretation of federal and state laws on student records’ privacy, CPS and the Chicago Police Department (CPD) have since worked toward improving their cooperation in incidents involving violent crimes on school grounds. However, 17 months after the shootings, while there seems to be an informal agreement facilitating better cooperation, no formal policy or comprehensive review of the incident’s handling has been finalized.
The incident highlighted longstanding tension between CPD and CPS over reporting violence on school grounds and cooperation during investigations. It has prompted considerations for policy changes to ensure more efficient collaboration in future emergencies, with the aim of having a new policy in place before the 2024 school year.