Officials downplay threats made by student
School asks for refrain from speculation regarding person who was arrested Feb. 23
Breckenridge Community School officials appear to be downplaying an incident regarding a student making threats of school violence that was reported by the Morning Sun last Friday afternoon.
According to information the newspaper received in a press release from the Gratiot County prosecutor’s office, Breckenridge Police Chief Brendan Weslock was dispatched to the high school on Wednesday, Feb. 22, concerning a tip that had been received form OK2SAY, a student safety program that allows students to confidentially report tips on potential harm or criminal activities at a schools.
The statement from Assistant Prosecutor Laura Bever said “an investigation revealed that a student had posted a photograph of the (Michigan State University) shooter along with a concerning comment” on social media.
She went on to say the student’s electronic devices were confiscated and sent to the Michigan State Crime Lab for analysis.
On Thursday, Feb. 23, the results were received by authorities, which prompted law enforcement to search the student’s residence where weapons were seized,
“The student was immediately taken into custody and placed at a juvenile detention center; a juvenile delinquency petition has been filed,” Bever stated.
But during daily announcements to Breckenridge students on Monday, school officials stated:
“You may have heard or read that a Brekenridge students was put in a juvenile detention center, however, the speculation or discussion of who it was or why it happened will not be tolerated and doesn’t help matters but leads to spreading rumors. At this time, we know a student made an insensitive social media post with no intent to harm.”
The announcement went on to say that the school takes “inappropriate comments about school
shootings seriously” and that police were still looking into the situation.
“Law enforcement needs time to conduct their investigation without our community or media speculating about the investigation,” the school’s announcement stated.
“We can’t control the headlines journalists use to publish stories for a local paper. But we will continue to work diligently to keep you safe and encourage you to report safety concerns.”
The Morning Sun received a copy of the school’s Monday announcements in an email from a concerned parent.
“Breckenridge Community Schools don’t want people talking about the student that made the threats,” she stated in the email.
“They said we may have read about the incident and it made it sound worse than it was. I have two students that go there and like other parents I want the truth.”
The woman requested to remain anonymous because “I don’t want my kids to be possibly retaliated against.”
The press release from the prosecutor’s office praised the efforts of the school and local law enforcement agencies “for their collaboration and swift action in neutralizing the threat to students and staff.”
Michigan law prohibits the release of identifying information and the specific contents of the delinquency petition filed against the juvenile allegedly involved.