Nine Detroit-area students face hearings before juvenile court referees accused of making threats against schools in the wake of a shooting at Oxford High Schoolin Oakland County that left four students dead.
The students range in age from 12 to 17. Eight are charged with intentional threat to commit an act of violence against a school employee or students. One faces a false report or threat of terrorism charge. Six also are charged with malicious use of a telecommunications device.
The threats occurred Dec. 2-6 at schools in Detroit, Wayne, Grosse Pointe Farms, Melvindale and Wyandotte. The students were charged last week.
“Juveniles do not receive adult sentences,” the Wayne County prosecutor’s office said Wednesday. “Upon conviction, a judge will fashion a sentence considering the crime committed, and the rehabilitation of the juvenile offender.”
On Nov. 30, 10 students and a teacher were shot at the Oxford school, roughly 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of Detroit. Four of the victims died.
Ethan Crumbley, a 15-year-old sophomore at the school, was arrested at the school and has been charged as an adultwith murder, terrorismand other crimes. His parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, later were arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter.
The gun used in the shooting was bought days before by James Crumbley.
A number of Michigan schools cancelled classes over the next day or two after the shootings due to online threats and safety concerns by parents and students.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said her office has charged 18 youths in the last few days with crimes relating to school threats. She didn’t provide details about the other nine cases.
“Much has been written about these types of cases lately, yet still these serious events continue to happen,” Worthy said. ”Quelling school threats is going to take the work of all of us. It is also going to take facing head-on the access our children have for guns and their fascination with them.”
