(WXYZ) — Prosecutors across metro Detroit are hoping to stop a horrible trend in its tracks this morning – copycat threats of school violence after the Oxford High School shooting.
More than two dozen students are now facing serious charges for making or spreading these recent threats.
Officials have vowed to hold guilty parties responsible. In Wayne County alone, 18 students are facing charges. In Oakland County, the prosecutor is working on seven cases involving threats, and in Washtenaw County, the prosecutor has charged two middle schoolers.
The tragedy at Oxford has left many communities and districts cared and vulnerable. They haven't yet felt relief because students have been making threats for the past week.
"They are saying, 'I'm going to bomb the school, I'm going to kill people,'" Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit said.
He said the students are committing crimes and he plans to hold them accountable.
"We've been working with law enforcement on search warrants," he added.
Fellow prosecutors in other counties are also taking the matter seriously. In Wayne County, 18 students have been charged. Some involved alleged threats of violence against a school, and one involved possession of a weapon in school.
Two other students have charges pending.
There are seven similar cases in Oakland County, five cases in Macomb County and two in Washtenaw.
"Even if you believe you make the threat you an anonymous social media account, law enforcement has ways to track you down and find you, and when that happens, you're going to get charged," Savit said.
On Tuesday, Harper Woods police said they arrested two students for making threats.
In Waterford, officers took an 8th grader from Mason Middle School in custody after he allegedly posted a picture of a firearm on social media with the caption, "Bro, Mason your (sic) next I'm coming for you on Tuesday."
"ANy student out there in Washtenaw or any place listening to this or considering doing something like this – don't. It can really disrupt your life," Savit said.
According to the Wayne County Prosecutor, juveniles do not receive adult sentences. If they are convicted, a judge will decide their sentence and place for rehabilitation. That could be a mental health treatment center or juvenile detention center.
