OXFORD, Mich. (WXYZ) — As Oxford continues to move forward from the deadly school shooting, officials have issued a news release clarifying rumors that have sprung up since the November 30th incident.
The information comes in a posting on the school district's website and addresses several questions that have arisen in the time following the shooting.
Here are the main clarifications issued by the school district:
1. The deer head incident that occurred on November 4 was investigated by law enforcement and was in no way related to the perpetrator of the November 30 incident. Social media posts students shared after this event with OHS were also investigated and shared with law enforcement. They were also in no way related to the perpetrator of the November 30 incident.
2. On November 11, the head of a bird was found in a jar in a student restroom at OHS. It was brought to the attention of and investigated by law enforcement. In addition to school personnel reviewing video footage over two days and interviewing several students, law-enforcement investigated the bird head incident before November 30 and determined there was no threat to the high school. They were unable to determine when or how the jar was delivered. No threat or other content accompanied the strange act.
3. Allegations regarding live ammunition being discovered at school are completely false. We have no record or report of live ammunition ever being reported at any school and we have strict protocols and procedures in place when it comes to weapons on school grounds.
4. All OK2SAY tips from that time period (11/01/21-11/30/21) were forwarded to law enforcement. Each tip was fully investigated by law enforcement. The only actionable information received was on November 17 from an anonymous tip stating that a student, who is no longer a student of Oxford High School and not the perpetrator from November 30, was responsible for the bird head.
5. The district was unaware of the perpetrator’s social media presence or related posts until after the November 30 incident.
6. The high school administration and Pam Fine did not interact with the perpetrator on November 30 prior to the incident. The meeting with the perpetrator only included the counselor and dean of students.
7. Our ALICE emergency response to the horrific situation presented on November 30 saved lives. Our students and staff should be proud. Our high school administration, including Principal Steve Wolf, Kristy Gibson-Marshall, and Kurt Nuss ran toward the incident to effectively save children, administer aid to injured parties, and to locate the perpetrator, putting themselves in harm’s way. As an administrative team, we are extremely proud of their brave efforts that day.
8. At the time, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office then secured the scene at the high school. In doing so, they also took over all communications and provided aid to injured students limiting our administrators’ ability to share information.
9. We have always taken threats very seriously and will continue to listen to students and parents who report threats to the district. In reminding everyone to “say something if you see something” we are in no way suggesting that our community has ever hesitated to do so in the past.
In another posting officials also addressed the temporary memorial that has grown outside the school since the shooting, saying it will be taken down ahead of the students' return to class inside the school on Monday, January 24.
Anyone in the community is invited to visit the memorial through Saturday, January 22. The memorial will then be taken down on Sunday after families of those killed or injured in the shooting are given the chance to choose items they wish to take home with them.
The memorial has been professionally 3-D scanned. The items included in it will be collected and stored until long-term memorial plans are made. Officials say they will soon begin the planning for a permanent memorial, which will begin with the creating of a committee of students, staff, and parents.
