No threats found following lockdown at Stoney Creek High

ROCHESTER HILLS — Claims of weapons on campus at Stoney Creek High School Sept. 20 were “unfounded,” according to officials.

The school was put on lockdown after the alarm system was “inadvertently activated” sometime around 11:48 a.m., according to reports from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.

Students then reportedly began to say there “was an active shooter based on the alarm sounding, not on actually seeing a gun or hearing shots,” the Sheriff’s Office said.

As a precaution, the district also temporarily placed Hart Middle School and Hugger and North Hill elementary schools on lockdown.

Deputies from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office and members of the Rochester Police Department responded to the scene at Stoney Creek High, where they searched and cleared each room of the school. Police said students and faculty remained in their classrooms until the school was cleared by law enforcement. The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office said the school was being evacuated around 12:25 p.m. as a precaution, and there was not believed to be an active threat.

Just before 3 p.m., police provided the Rochester Community School District with an all-clear, indicating that Stoney Creek High School was secure, and the lockdown was lifted at all the other schools.

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said his office “takes every threat seriously and fully investigates all of them.”

“Nothing has been located that was a credible concern,” Bouchard said in a Sept. 20 statement. “Contrary to a false media report, no body was found, and no one was injured.”

RCS Superintendent Robert Shaner said “a thorough investigation revealed that the alarm system was inadvertently activated,” adding that “reactions to the lockdown prompted misinformation.”

Shaner said law enforcement confirmed that there was no active shooter or threat, and that all students and staff were safe and accounted for.

District social-emotional wellness teams, he added, remain available to provide support.

“The safety of our school community is always our priority,” Shaner said in a statement. “We are proud of how our students and staff systematically follow the security procedures that are practiced throughout the year. Our ongoing training and drills have prepared our school communities to take the necessary safety precautions during critical incidents.”

The district, Shaner said, also remains grateful for its partners at the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, the Rochester Police Department and its own security consultants.

“We realize that safety is not always convenient, but we are committed to doing everything within our control to protect our students, staff and guests,” Shaner said in a statement.

District officials encourage parents and caregivers to talk with their students on a regular basis about the importance of making good choices and sharing concerns if something doesn’t seem right. In case of an emergency, students, teachers and staff are urged to call 911.

Families can also relay information to their school principal and report information using the district’s Talk to RCS feature on its website at rochester.k12.mi.us or anonymously using OK2SAY at michigan.gov/ok2say.