MACOMB TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Three students are facing threat of terrorism charges after statements were heard about a school shooting and a gun case was found outside a Macomb County middle school, police said.
Staff members at Seneca Middle School in Macomb Township learned Thursday (June 2) that “suspicious statements” had been made by at least one student. The parents were told to keep the student home Friday so the situation could be investigated.
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On Friday, the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office learned that a Seneca Middle School parent had found a gun case in one of the driving lanes of the parent drop-off area. The case didn’t have a gun inside, but there was an empty 9 mm magazine that is believed to belong to a Taurus handgun, according to authorities.
School officials said it’s not clear if the gun case is related to the investigation or if it fell out of a vehicle while a student was being dropped off.
Multiple schools within the Chippewa Valley Schools district -- Seneca Middle School, Dakota High School, Ojibwa Elementary School, and Cheyenne Elementary School -- were placed into a “secure hold” while the situations at the middle school were investigated by Macomb County deputies, officials said.
Deputies continued to investigate the Thursday threat and learned that multiple students had heard it. They said two additional students had made similar threats -- one who was present at school that day and one who was absent.
The student who was in attendance was immediately pulled from class and searched for weapons, police said. No weapons were found.
Officials searched the school and checked backpacks and lockers before students were released. Camera footage is also being reviewed, authorities said.
The three students involved were interviewed, and their homes were searched, according to police. All three have been taken to the Macomb County Juvenile Justice Center on threats of terrorism charges, deputies said.
“In the wake of recent events, we are taking every precaution to keep our schools safe,” Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham said. “Threats of any kind will not be tolerated, and a full investigation will be completed. We encourage parents to speak with their students about the consequences of these types of statements. We will continue to work together with all of our school districts to provide the safest environment possible for our children to receive a stress-free education.”
Anyone with information about the threats or the gun case is asked to call police at 586-307-9358.