Three dead in shooting at Michigan high school

Gun used in attack bought last week by suspect’s father

A 15-yearold sophomore opened fire at his Michigan high school on Tuesday, killing three students and wounding eight other people, including one teacher, authorities said.

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said late Tuesday that investigators were still trying to determine a motive for the shooting at Oxford High School in Oxford Township, a community of about 22,000 people roughly 48 kilometers north of Detroit.

The suspect’s father bought the 9mm Sig Sauer used in the shooting on Friday, Bouchard said, adding that he did not know why the man bought the gun. Bouchard said the suspect had practised shooting with the gun and posted pictures of it and the target. Bouchard said several students injured in the shooting remain in critical condition, including a 14-year-old on a ventilator.

Undersheriff Mike McCabe said earlier that authorities were aware of allegations circulating on social media that there had been threats of a shooting at the school before Tuesday’s attack, but he cautioned against believing that narrative until investigators can look into it.

He also downplayed the significance of an incident in early November when a deer head was thrown off the school roof, which he said was “absolutely unrelated” to the shooting.

Authorities didn’t immediately release the suspect’s name, but McCabe said deputies arrested him within minutes of arriving at the school in response to a flood of 911 calls about the attack, which happened shortly before 1 p.m. He said the deputies also recovered the semi-automatic handgun and several magazines used to store ammunition that the suspect used in the attack.

“He fired multiple shots,” McCabe said. “Somewhere in the area of 15 to 20.” The three students who were killed were a 16-year-old boy and two girls, ages 14 and 17, McCabe said.

McCabe said the suspect’s parents visited their son where he’s being held and advised him not to talk to investigators.