Calling in a bomb threat to a school could land you one-to-three years in jail starting January 1st. A new Illinois law makes the penalties more severe for people making threats on school grounds or at a school event.
Bill sponsor Representative Dennis Rebolleti says the crime will go from a misdemeanor to a felony.
REBOLLETI: If you call in a bomb threat or basically yelling fire in the school, it’s not a joke. It can’t be taken as a joke. It’s very serious. There’s a huge potential for injury or potentially death.
Rebolleti says he drafted up the law after bomb threats were called in to two schools in his district in Chicago’s northwest suburbs. Violators face the same penalties as people charged with drug possession or theft.