Evanston police charged two men after a gun sighting near Park School on Nov. 4 prompted safety procedures at nearby schools.

Mahamat N. Abakar, 18, faces two felony weapons counts. Benjamin J. Miller, 31, faces a felony charge for failing to register as a sex offender, according to the Evanston RoundTable, citing an Evanston Police Department press release.

Both men were in custody as of Thursday, Nov. 5.

How the Incident Unfolded

Around 11:20 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4, a Park School employee called police to report a man walking with what appeared to be a gun near Main Street and Ridge Avenue, the RoundTable reported.

An officer spotted a man matching the description in the 800 block of Greenleaf Street and stopped him. Police found an unloaded semiautomatic Glock 42 handgun in his waistband with an empty magazine, according to the RoundTable. The man was identified as Abakar, of the 900 block of Forest Avenue.

After reviewing surveillance video, Park School's assistant principal and safety staff determined a second individual was the person they had seen with what appeared to be a handgun. Staff spotted that person near the school again and called 911.

Police stopped Miller, of the 900 block of Maple Avenue, near Custer Avenue and Madison Street, close to Nichols Middle School. Officers recovered a lighter designed to look like a handgun. Miller acknowledged being near Park School but denied threatening anyone with the replica, the RoundTable reported.

Charges Filed

Abakar faces one Class 4 felony count of aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon for not having a Firearm Owners Identification card. He also faces a Class 3 felony count of unlawful possession of a weapon within 1,000 feet of a school, the RoundTable reported.

Miller faces one Class 3 felony count of failure to register a new residence under the sex offender registration act. Detectives learned during the investigation that Miller had not complied with mandatory registration requirements, according to the RoundTable. He was arrested Nov. 4 and charged Nov. 5.

Schools Secured

The RoundTable reported that Park School and Nichols Middle School began "secure and teach" procedures after the gun sighting. Under that procedure, schools secure exterior doors. Students and staff can move inside, but no one enters or leaves until police give the all-clear.

Evanston Now reported Nov. 4 that only Park School entered the procedure, citing Police Cmdr. Chelsea Brown.

District 65 schools had a half-day schedule Nov. 4, and few students remained in the buildings. Both schools lifted the procedures after police advised the area was safe, according to the RoundTable.

Evanston Now's earlier report noted the second person had initially been released without charges. The charges came the next day.

Abakar's next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 19 at Skokie Courthouse. Miller was scheduled for a pretrial release hearing at Skokie Courthouse on Nov. 6.