EASTPOINTE, Mich. (WXYZ) — Eastpointe High School and 8th Grade Academy have been cleared after the school was put on lockdown Wednesday afternoon following social media threats.
After receiving information about the threats, several Eastpointe police officers closed nearby streets and went through the entire building, searching all students and their belongings. Police say they were unable to find a weapon or any parts of a weapon.
"I got an auto-call and I started texting my son and he was responding to my texts and I asked 'Was he safe?' and he said 'Yes.' I said 'What's going on?' and he said 'I don't know?'" parent Carolyn Dixon said as she stood in a nearby parking lot waiting for the school to begin releasing students.
Dixon was one of dozens of parents who said they immediately traveled to the school after hearing news of the threat.
"You hear the stories of when they get to shooting and they shooting teachers, students, random who did nothing to them," Dixon said.
Several parents say their students were under the impression that another student had a loaded gun inside of the building, but police soon learned that was not true.
"I may not look like it, but I was terrified, absolutely terrified when I got that text message from my kids saying 'Mom our school is on lockdown,'" parent Krysenda Slayton said.
After police searched each student and their belongings, students were then released by grade level.
The incident now marks the third in metro Detroit of this nature in a little more than a week after a gun was found at Harper Woods High School and shots were fired at Michigan Collegiate High School on Monday.
Parents say they’re tired of hearing stories like this.
"It was immediate fear and a little anger. This continues to happen day in and day out across our country. It’s ridiculous," Slayton said.
It’s unclear who police believe may have made the threat.
The school district released the following statement:
Eastpointe High School and the 8th Grade Academy will be dismissing at their regular time this afternoon. All students and classrooms have been searched and cleared. No evidence of a credible threat, including any weapons or any part of a weapon, was found.
We are grateful to school office staff for reporting the threat immediately, and appreciate the rapid response of our local authorities. We also appreciate the patience of our families this afternoon, as well as the cooperation of our Eastpointe students during this lockdown.
-Caitlyn Kienitz, Eastpointe Schools
