Dad Threatens Son’s Bullies With AR-15-Armed Uncle

A father in Illinois threatened to send his brother armed with an AR-15 to an elementary school to teach his son’s bullies a lesson.

Paul Chapman, 43, of Lyons, Illinois, was arrested and charged with felony disorderly conduct after he threatened to send his brother to his son’s school with an AR-15 to threaten bullies, the Chicago Sun Tribune reports.

On Thursday, March 22, Chapman reportedly wrote in a post on Facebook that his brother would go to Robinson Elementary School, the school his son attends, in “full uniform” with an AR-15, the gun used in recent mass shootings, “to make an impression” on the first-graders who had bullied his son. Chapman’s post also reportedly included an image of his brother in a military uniform.

Chapman’s post came after his son had been treated for a head injury after he had been pushed into a bookshelf.

Police and school officials were alerted to Chapman’s threatening post on Friday, March 23, and Robinson Elementary School and five other schools in the district were placed on a soft lockdown. Authorities said no students were ever in actual physical danger.

Chapman was taken into police custody later that day.

Despite his threats, many Lyons residents wondered why the school district hadn’t dealt with the bullying, though it didn’t excuse Chapman’s actions.

“Sue the school, sue the district, sue the kids that bullied your child but don’t make fb post talking about bringing an AR-15 to my kid’s school. I was a nervous wreck till that lockdown was lifted and I knew my kids were safe,” one person commented on the Village of Lyons’ Facebook post regarding the incident.

“He was wrong to post what he did, but the school should get rid of bullying. They need to handle that stuff correctly,” commented another person.

Judge John F. Lyke Jr. set Chapman’s bond at $10,000 at a hearing Saturday. His next court date is Tuesday.