MUSKEGON, Mich. — Students at Reeths-Puffer High School were sent home early on Wednesday, and school was canceled the following day after a bullet was found on the floor of a bathroom.
"Out of an abundance of caution, and recognizing the anxiety present in all of our buildings, we will be closing all buildings on Tuesday, December 16," Superintendent Steve Edwards wrote in a letter to parents Wednesday night.
We're told the bullet belonged to a 38-caliber revolver but no gun was found.
Edwards says law enforcement was contacted immediately after the bullet was found Wednesday morning.
According to Edwards, law enforcement officials recommended the school dismiss students early out of an abundance of caution.
Buses were at the high school by 9:45 a.m. to transport students back home.
The incident is under investigation.
Edwards says they will find whoever is responsible.
"They learn best when they feel safe and secure," says Edwards. "And those who jeopardize that safety and security should be dealt with swiftly."
Muskegon County Prosecutor DJ Hilson says offenders will be prosecuted.
"It carries through on the message that the schools are sending, that law enforcement is sending, and the message that I'm sending through the proesecutor's office: that this is not a joke," says Hilson. "We're not taking it as a joke. That there are consequences for making these poor decisions. Part of those consequences, at a minimum, is spending time in front of a juvenile court judge."
Hilson adds most cases involving student-issued threats will be handled in juvenile court, which delivers lighter punishments.
Twenty-four Muskegon County kids have been charged over the course of the last several weeks for issuing school threats.
