State Police Warn Students: School Threats Could Lead To Terrorism Charges

DETROIT (WWJ) - Authorities are once again warning Michigan teens that they can and will be held accountable under the law for making threats against schools.

Over the last two weeks there have been multiple school threats reported in the metro Detroit area — what some in law enforcement calling a wave of domestic terrorism.

Although Michigan State Police First Lt. Michael Shaw says every case is different, he told WWJ Newsradio 950 that students involved are likely to faces charges whether or not a threat is considered credible.

"We take every one of these very seriously," Shaw said."We're going to investigate every one of these, because we'd rather go out a thousand times and it be nothing, instead of not going out that one time and we have an incident at one of Michigan's students."

Shaw said police will seek charges against every person that makes a threat against schools. Typically, he said, that charge will be making a false report or threat of terrorism, which is a felony.  If convicted, those charges as adults could spend up to 20 years in prison.

There were at least two school threats reported in metro Detroit on Thursday alone. All high school students in the Plymouth-Canton district were sent home early as police said they were investigating a threat. In Birmingham, there was an increased police presence on campus after officials said someone hacked into an account and left a vague threat against Derby Middle School. Concerned parents of Derby Middle School students were told they were welcome to come and get their children.