Oak Park Student Arrested for Threats of School Violence
(City of Oak Park, March 23, 2018)
Oak Park, MI – Oak Park Public Safety arrested a 14-year-old Oak Park School District student in connection with threats of school violence involving several schools within the Oak Park School District.
On Tuesday, March 20, Public Safety received information from the Oak Park School District regarding numerous threats circulating throughout various social media channels threatening to “shoot up” several schools within the school district. On Friday, March 23, a 14-year-old Oak Park School District student was arrested for making and circulating threats. She remains in custody. The case will be presented to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office for appropriate charges.
“We take each and every threat to the safety of our community members and our schools very seriously,” states City Manager Erik Tungate. “Our children’s safety is an absolute top priority.” Oak Park supports three public school districts, along with several Jewish, charter, pre-kindergarten, nursery and Montessori schools.
“We are urging parents to ensure their children understand the consequences they could face – consequences that could impact them for the rest of their lives – if they make threats against classmates, schools or the community, at large,” said Public Safety Director Steve Cooper referring to the fact that such threats can result in arrest, lengthy jail time, being expelled from school, and declined college enrollment or employment opportunities. “In today’s climate, these threats whether stated online, over the phone, through email, or in-person are treated as threats to the safety of others and are investigated accordingly.”
The Oak Park School District was closed on Thursday and Friday while the City’s Public Safety conducted their investigation and met with staff. “It is very important that if our community members see something, they say something so that our children can return to a safe learning environment, free from undue panic, false alarms, and harmful threats,” stated Director Cooper. Concerns can be reported to the Oak Park Public Safety Department by calling (248) 691-7520 or in-person at 13800 Oak Park Blvd., Oak Park, Mich.
Last week, the City of Oak Park announced they are adding an additional Community Resource Officer position to its existing Public Safety team to expand the Department’s presence in educational environments while providing more opportunities for positive interaction with our students.
“We have a very strong relationship with our community members,” stated Director Cooper. “Not only do we take great pride in serving and protecting this fine community, but we also feel the support they provide back to us in our day-to-day operations. Likewise, our young community members should feel safe, secure and comfortable in approaching any one of our officers when they feel compelled.”
This investigation remains active and ongoing.
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For a more comprehensive look at local threats, CLICK HERE.