Police Arrest Student Suspected of Making Threats Against Ferndale High

(Ferndale Police, Nov. 14, 2022)

Ferndale, MI—The Ferndale Police Department made an arrest following social media threats of violence that led to precautionary school closings today at Ferndale High and Middle Schools.

On November 13, 2022, at approximately 9:30 p.m., the Ferndale Police Department received numerous phone calls regarding a threat posted on social media. The Department, working with Ferndale School District administration, took immediate action to ensure the safety of the community. The high schools and middle school were all closed Monday, and the Police Department began investigating.

Ferndale police identified and arrested the lone suspect responsible for posting the threats on November 14, 2022. The suspect has been identified as a 16-year-old female student who attends Ferndale High School.

“We take threats of violence against our community and students incredibly seriously,” said Ferndale Police Captain David Spellman. “In this case, we feel confident that the threat has been neutralized and the suspect poses no ongoing danger to the community.”

The suspect will be housed at Oakland County Children’s Village pending review from the Oakland County Prosecutors Office. As the suspect is a minor and the case remains an open investigation, no further information will be provided at this time.

Out of an abundance of caution and to help parents and families feel at ease, the Ferndale Police Department and Oak Park Public Safety will have an increased presence throughout the Ferndale schools on Tuesday.

Thank you to our community partners, Ferndale School District, Michigan State Police (OK2SAY), and Oak Park Public Safety for their support during this incident.

Ferndale Superintendent Bobbie Hayes Goodrum also released a statement saying “Due to student privacy laws and the ongoing police investigation we will not comment further on the specifics of the incident.

I want to express the heartfelt appreciation of our community to the Ferndale Police Department. The officers of the FPD acted immediately and ensured the safety of our school family. To the FPD, thank you!

All Ferndale Schools will be open tomorrow, November 15th, 2022. Out of an abundance of caution there will be an increased police presence at all of our schools.

To our student body I want to be very clear. Making threats against an individual or our school family, is not only unacceptable, but also a felony in the State of Michigan that is punishable by up to 20 years in jail. If you are considering making a threat on social media, don’t.

To our parents and guardians, if you believe your student needs support please click the link to view our mental health crisis resource list. Our school family stands ready to support our students and staff through this difficult time.

Thank you to everyone who came forward and shared information with the Ferndale Police Department. This situation could not have been so quickly resolved without your support. Together, we can keep our community safe.”

NOTE: Police and Fire Reports come directly from the agency involved and are written by the person or agency listed below the title. We generally run these “as is” or with minimal editing for punctuation, spelling, etc. Suspects should not be presumed guilty. Those needing more information about a case are encouraged to follow up with the reporting agency or court system for the most current information.

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Police Arrest Student Suspected of Making Threats Against Ferndale High

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