MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. – A man hundreds of miles away is responsible for spotting a threat to shoot up three Macomb County schools.
The three Warren Consolidated Schools were closed on Wednesday because of the threat that was made on social media. The man who alerted the police was watching it play out in real-time from another state.
“A number of Tweets, specifically threatening to shoot up the Warren Consolidated Schools,” the man said.
The man, who asked to remain anonymous, developed an algorithm that scans social media searching for threats against schools. The threats were targeting Carter Middle School, Cousino High School and Community High School.
“Warren Police Department, as well as dispatch, had no idea these Tweets were out there until I notified them,” the man said.
The man has caught 23 confirmed threats to schools where real violence was planned. He has advice for parents.
“Understand what your child is using the phone for and two, be very specific with them about what they should not do with that phone,” he said.
He believes in this case, that the 13-year-old child was trying to get out of a test. That child is facing a felony charge.
Read: 13-year-old boy arrested for threatening to shoot up 3 schools in Warren, Sterling Heights