A Maryland teenager who Oakland County detectives linked to threatening to shoot up Oxford High School has been arrested by Maryland State Police.
The 17-year-old boy was arrested Thursday (Aug. 24) and charged in Maryland juvenile court with multiple crimes, including threats of mass harm and improper use of a telephone.
Detectives said they did not believe the threats were prompted by the Nov. 30, 2021, fatal shooting at the high school in which four students were killed, and six other students and a teacher were injured by Ethan Crumbley, who was 15 at the time and a student at the school.
“We will work to hold anyone, anywhere, accountable for threats they make against our community,” said Sheriff Michael Bouchard. “In this case, we partnered with the Maryland State Police to do just that. I thank our team for its swift work and thank the Maryland State Police for their partnership to run this down.”
Police said detectives were alerted to the Maryland threat after they received an OK2Say tip from the Michigan State Police.
Officials said the sheriff’s department interviewed three 14-year-old students and a 39-year-old woman from Oxford Township on Aug. 14 regarding a series of threatening phone calls to their homes.
Police said the 17-year-old told one of the 14-year-old victims that he would shoot up the school before shooting the teen next.
Officials said the suspect made inappropriate sexual comments to at least one of the students and a woman.
Through an investigation, detectives were able to link the phone number in Maryland and ultimately located an address where the 17-year-old lived.
“We run down threats with a sense of urgency and greatly appreciate that they do as well,” Bouchard said. “Whether a threat is intended to be carried out or not, it terrifies people and is a crime.”
During his arrest last Thursday, troopers said the suspect confessed to making the calls. He later wrote an apology letter.
