Prosecutor charges Eisenhower High School student with threat of terrorism

SHELBY TOWNSHIP — The Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office authorized a petition April 13 to charge a 16-year-old student for allegedly making a threat at Eisenhower High School last month.

On March 24, the student allegedly downloaded a photo of an individual holding a gun and added a threatening phrase to the photo. The juvenile then used AirDrop to send the photo with the phrase to fellow students during lunch.

After an investigation, the Prosecutor’s Office charged the student with threat of terrorism, which is a potential 20-year felony, and using a computer to commit a crime, which also is a potential 20-year felony. The juvenile’s pretrial hearing had not been scheduled yet, according to a press release from the Prosecutor’s Office April 14.

Tim McAvoy, the media relations director at Utica Community Schools, said safety remains a priority for the entire community.

“We greatly appreciate the individuals who brought this to the attention of the Eisenhower administration and law enforcement. We are also appreciative of the collaborative work of the Eisenhower administrative team and the Shelby Township Police Department, which leveraged its resources to identify the responsible individual. As always, parents need to speak with their children about the need to immediately report any threat to school security that they come across. We ask that families continue to reinforce to their children that every threat is taken seriously and students will face life-changing consequences from both the school and law enforcement,” he said in an email.

Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido said his office is committed to achieving justice and following the laws of the state of Michigan. All who are accused of a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

“Threats to a school, faculty, or students will be charged by my office. We have a zero tolerance policy in Macomb County. Faculty and students should not be scared to go to school. This nonsense needs to stop,” Lucido said in a prepared statement.