As Oakland County sheriff ’s deputies continue to investigate a spate of threatening messages found this week in local schools, all Walled Lake Consolidated Schools will be on a level-one lockdown today after messages were found in four district buildings and on a school bus.
During the lockdown, exterior doors on the schools will be locked, and students will remain in the buildings. Students arriving at Geisler Middle School and Walled Lake Northern High School will be asked to open up their backpacks and purses for inspection.
A girl reported at noon Thursday that she found the words, “Virginia Tech here tomorrow, Don’t believe me,” written in an upstairs girls bathroom at Geisler Middle School. A threatening message referencing Virginia Tech was discovered Thursday at Walled Lake Northern High School, prompting the school to be put under a level-one lockdown during sixth period for the remainder of the school day. Deputies were called to search both schools.
Also on Thursday, fifth-graders from Twin Beach and Guest elementary schools were at a camp at the Walled Lake Outdoor Education Center when a bomb threat was reported on a Plymouth-Canton school bus parked at the camp. The Oakland County Sheriff ’s Office police dog searched the bus and found nothing suspicious.
Threatening messages referencing the Virginia Tech massacre were found Wednesday at Walled Lake Western and Walled Lake Central high schools, with one message found in a bathroom at each school. Deputies searched the schools, but found nothing suspicious.
School officials say while they believe the incidents are hoaxes, they’re taking them seriously.
“These are unfortunate incidents, and we need to take them seriously to protect the safety of our students,” said Judy Evola, the district’s director of community relations.
Walled Lake officials are offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the identification of the person or people responsible for writing the messages. Call the tip line at (248) 956-5400. Tips also can be left with Oakland County Crime Stoppers at (888) 887-6146.
Sheriff ’s Office investigators are scouring computers seized from the home of a 16-year-old Rochester Hills teen, whom they suspect sent an e-mail message containing a bomb threat that prompted officials to close Rochester and Adams high schools and West and Van Hoosen middle schools Monday. Nothing unusual was found at the schools.
A boy found a threatening message at about 1 p.m. Tuesday in a bathroom at Oxford Middle School. Deputies searched the building, and found nothing out of the ordinary.
