ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Ann Arbor parents are calling for more resources to be devoted to security at an elementary school and across the district, after what they are calling a “near miss” on Friday.
“It was a very close thing to a tragedy, and thankfully it was not,” Haisley Elementary School dad Danny Ellis said.
That afternoon, kids and staff at Haisley Elementary School were getting ready to go home for a long weekend.
During school dismissal, police say an 18-year-old man from the community taped a threatening note on a classroom window from outside.
The threat involved a firearm, according to police.
The 18-year-old fled school property.
Police searched the suspect’s home and did not find any firearms.
They worked with Community Mental Health to offer help to him. He is currently getting treatment at a facility and was charged with making terroristic threats and making school threats.
The prosecutor says he will be arraigned upon his release from the medical facility.
The Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office also requested a $250,000 bond and a GPS tether to ensure the suspect does not return to the elementary school if he’s released.
A no-trespass order is also in place, barring the man from being on any Ann Arbor Public School property.
“We need to look at where our resources are, how do we get more resources?” Ellis said. “How do we support people and best practices, and figure out what are the best practices and learn from this opportunity right now?”
Parents say school leadership made the right calls and prioritized kids’ safety, but they shouldn’t have to face situations like this.
“I am delighted that they could report that everyone made it home safely and obviously in a very challenging situation with lots going on,” PTO President and Haisley parent Jenn Tankanow said.
Local 4 confirmed today that Ann Arbor Public Schools does not have school resource officers.
On Tuesday (Jan. 20), Ann Arbor police had officers at the school during morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up, as well as an officer during the day.
They plan to have officers there all week.
Tankanow says she wants to see more money go toward keeping kids safe.
“As we’ve learned in the last 48 hours, lots of new learnings … We have learned that there’s not a lot. We need people to work together across the community, whether it’s Ann Arbor Public Schools, the police department, obviously the sheriff, at a state level, as well,” Tankanow said.
Local 4 also spoke to Ann Arbor Mayor Chris Taylor on Tuesday.
He says he understands this was frightening for families and remains laser-focused on ensuring kids stay safe at school.
“Here are some funds that have been tied up,” Ellis said. “How do we unlock those? How do we put those to good use, not just at Haisley, but across the entire state?”
Local 4 also reached out to the school district on Tuesday.
They referenced their statement made after the incident.