Man arrested after 911 call threatening shooting near Decatur high school identified

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) — A man arrested after calling 911 and threatening to shoot at people near MacArthur High School Saturday has been identified.

According to the Decatur Police Department, police received a call just after 1 p.m. from a man, later identified as 40-year-old Michael Thompson, claiming he was standing in front of the school with a gun and he was going to "shoot them down," referring to people and drivers nearby.

At the time of the call, MacArthur was hosting a football camp and a youth dance competition.

Decatur police said officers did not immediately find Thompson when they arrived, and asked people to shelter in the building until the area was cleared.

Decatur Public Schools said in a statement that, "out of an abundance of caution and in strict adherence to our safety protocols, all camp participants and coaching staff immediately moved inside the school building." They stayed inside until officers cleared the area and confirmed it was safe to leave.

DPD said the investigation led officers to the Decatur Inn Motel, where Thompson was arrested for making a terrorist threat.

According to Macon County court records, Thompson is charged with terrorism/false threat and violation of parole/mandatory supervised release.

The department clarified that there was no indication that Thompson fired any shots at or near MacArthur High School. According to police, no guns have been found and there is no evidence that Thompson had a gun, despite his statements.