Youth charged with attempted first-degree murder in fight at Lyons Township High

By Steve Metsch

A juvenile has been charged with attempted first-degree murder in connection with a May 1 beating outside the north campus of Lyons Township High School that left one juvenile “injured severely,” La Grange Police said in a news release late Wednesday.

The juvenile arrested on Wednesday was also charged with aggravated battery/great bodily harm, the release said.

This is the second arrest in the investigation. On May 5, Lyons Township student James Hernandez Jr., of Brookfield, was charged with battery.

The fight happened around 4:10 p.m. May 1 outside the north campus, a source said. That attack took place outside Exit 7, which faces Park Road on the west side of the building.

“It’s not a random act. It was a targeted attack,” the source said. “It’s my understanding it’s all student-related. No outside individuals came on campus.”

No weapons were involved, the source said.

That source confirmed that a severely injured student was airlifted to the University of Chicago hospitals.

“One (student) is still in the hospital, receiving medical treatment. I mean, serious injuries,” the source said.

Asked early Thursday for more details about the case, La Grange Police Chief Robert Wardlaw declined comment other than “there’s still another juvenile suspect out there.”

“We need to make sure we wrap up this entire investigation,” he said.

“I can’t really provide a lot of information as it’s an ongoing investigation and it involves juveniles,” the chief said. “We can’t provide any information that may potentially lead to the identity of the (arrested) juvenile (being revealed).”

According to the news release, “the incident involved an altercation involving several juveniles and an adult, which resulted in the injury of two juveniles, one of whom was injured severely.”

The release, received at 8:38 p.m. Wednesday, came from La Grange Village Manager Jack Knight.

Wardlaw was asked how the fight began.

“I can’t really get into the specifics because, again, it is still an ongoing investigation at this time,” Wardlaw said.