Over 30 students arrested for threats
12 in Oakland have been charged since Oxford High shooting
School threats, or “copycats” according to Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard, have increased dramatically across southeast Michigan since the Nov. 30 deadly shooting at Oxford High School.
As of Friday, the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office had issued 12 petitions, or charges, against county stu- dents since Nov. 30 regarding schoolrelated threats.
Terry D’Esposito, spokesperson for that office, said petitions are charging documents in juvenile cases, similar to warrants for adult cases. The Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office did not provide details regarding communities where all the charged threats took place.
Angela Burke, of the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office, said Friday morning that 11 county students have been charged. Investigations are continuing, she added, and a list of where all the threats were made was still being compiled.
Maria Miller, director of communications for the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, said that as of Friday 23 youths countywide had been arrested and charged.
The week before, a total of nine Detroit-area students aged from 12 to 17 years were charged last week and awaited hearings before juvenile court referees. Threats occurred between Dec. 2-6 at schools in Detroit, Wayne, Grosse Pointe Farms, Melvindale and Wyandotte.
“Juveniles do not receive adult sentences,” the Wayne County prosecutor’s office said Wednesday. “Upon conviction, a judge will fashion a sentence considering the crime committed, and the rehabilitation of the juvenile offender.”
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said putting an end to such threats is a community effort.
“Much has been written about these types of cases lately, yet still these serious events continue to happen,” Worthy said. “Quelling school threats is going to take the work of all of us. It is also going to take facing head-on the access our children have for guns and their fascination with them.”