Sheriff’s Office investigating man who may have entered Romeo High School with a hatchet
A man who entered Romeo High School late Friday afternoon with a hatchet in his possession is being investigated by the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office and may be facing charges.
According to authorities, deputies arrived at the school at about 4:15 p.m., responding to a report about a suspicious person.
According to a letter sent to Romeo High School parents Sunday, Jan. 10, the man entered the school at about 4 p.m. through the front doors to use the restroom. When the deputies arrived at 4:15, the man, only identified as an adult male and former student at the high school, had already left.
But during his time in the building, administrators said he was seen walking around the school.
He was confronted by school employees who questioned why he was in the building. When the man gave no good answer, he was asked to leave. According to the school district, the man complied with the request to leave and did so without incident.
Upon their arrival, Sheriff ’s deputies met with school staff. They said the man left a name and a telephone number.
The man told school officials he had been let into the school by a contractor. RCS administration said contractors were in the building Friday working on technology improvements to the school.
Sheriff’s deputies made contact with the man, who was cooperative and told them he had gone to the school to drop off supplies. In the letter to Romeo High School families, Principal Bernie Osebold indicated that deputies learned that while the man was in the school, he had a machete concealed underneath his coat and a bag on his shoulder. Macomb County Sheriff’s Office information officer Sgt. Renee Yax said the object was actually a hatchet, not a machete. The man told authorities he carries it for his own personal safety.
Yax said deputies conducted a lengthy investigation with the man and didn’t find anything suspicious on his person or in his vehicle. Yax added he did not give any information to deputies indicating he planned to do any harm to anyone. A Michigan State Police K9 team did a sweep of the school and did not locate anything suspicious in nature.
The Romeo High School letter to parents indicated the man was arrested and charges were being pursued.
According to Yax, the man was not arrested, and no charges are forthcoming at the moment. Yax said deputies will continue with their investigation and, if warranted, would send the results of the investigation to the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office for their review. Yax said the hatchet was taken as possible evidence, and the man was asked to not return to any Romeo Community Schools.
According to the school letter, review of surveillance video indicated the man had been in his car outside the high school for about an hour before entering the building. Yax said she didn’t know how long the man had been outside in his vehicle.
Like many Macomb County high schools, Romeo High School had been until Monday providing remote or virtual learning only.
According to Romeo High School office staff, the school had returned to a hybrid learning platform (some in-person, some remote), on Monday. At 4 p.m. on Friday, classes were only remote and had concluded for the day.
But Romeo Community Schools Superintendent Todd Robinson said Monday in addition to the contractors, a handful of parents and custodial staff were in the building when the man came through the front door. Robinson said the parents were preparing a meal for the Romeo High School football team, which was outside practicing in preparation for its playoff game against West Bloomfield High School the following day. Robinson said the suspect was confronted by school custodial staff, who then reported the incident to school administration.
Robinson said the contracting company has been reminded of protocols regarding access to school buildings. And he said the Sheriff’s Office has assured him they told the suspect to stay clear of all RCS buildings.
“This is a cause for concern on any day,” Robinson said. “But the district and the Sheriff’s Department responded well, and we will support this investigation to its conclusion.”