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FERNDALE — Ferndale police arrested two Ferndale High School students a day apart for separately making threats against the school.
The first threat
A press release issued by both Ferndale Public Schools and the Ferndale Police Department states that a 16-year-old female suspect who is a student at Ferndale High School was arrested Nov. 14.
According to police, at approximately 9:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 13, the department received numerous phone calls about threats made on social media against the school. Because of the threats, the school district made the decision to close Ferndale High School and Ferndale Middle School for the following day, Nov. 14.
Working with the school district, police were able to identify the student who allegedly made the threats and arrest her. Police said in a text message that they did not recover any weapons from the suspect.
“We take threats of violence against our community and students incredibly seriously,” Ferndale Police Capt. David Spellman said in a prepared statement. “In this case, we feel confident that the threat has been neutralized and the suspect poses no ongoing danger to the community.”
Police stated that the suspect will be housed at Oakland County Children’s Village pending a review from the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office.
“As the suspect is a minor and the case remains an open investigation, no further information will be provided at this time,” the statement reads. Police also confirmed, “out of an abundance of caution and to help parents and families feel at ease,” Ferndale police and the Oak Park Public Safety Department will have an “increased presence” throughout all Ferndale schools Nov. 15.
Superintendent Bobbie Goodrum said in a prepared statement that, due to student privacy laws and the ongoing police investigation, the district will not be commenting further on the specifics of the incident. She also thanked local police for their help in the matter.
“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,” she said.
“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,” Goodrum continued.
A day later, another threat
When schools did reopen on Nov. 15, the district received another threat of violence.
At approximately 9 a.m., police went to the high school after a threatening note was discovered in a student restroom, a police press release states. The threat led to a precautionary lockdown at both the high school and the middle school.
At 10:30 a.m., police were able to identify who allegedly made the note — a 16-year-old male suspect who is a student at Ferndale High School — and arrested him.
According to police, the suspect will be housed at Oakland County Children’s Village pending review from the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office. Similar to the female suspect in the first case, the male suspect is a minor and police said that no further information will be provided at this time. The case remains an open investigation.
“Parents and families, we implore you to talk with your students about the seriousness of false threats,” Spellman stated Nov. 15. “Threats are crimes, whether the person intends on carrying out the threat or not. Any threat will be investigated fully and presented to the County Prosecutor. These kinds of incidents also cause undue stress and trauma on students and families and take officers away from real emergencies.”
