OXFORD, Mich. – A bomb threat Monday at Oxford High School sparked an investigation and sent students home early.
School officials said they received an email shortly after 7 a.m. Monday, Feb. 26, 2024, from an unknown person who claimed to have a bomb inside a car in the parking lot. The emailer threatened to detonate the bomb.
School officials called the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, so deputies went to the school with dogs that are trained to detect explosives.
Police closed access to the building and the parking lot. Nobody was allowed to enter or exit.
Deputies and K-9 units determined there was no credible threat. Out of an abundance of caution, deputies did a sweep of the area and didn’t find any explosives, they said.
Students were dismissed at 11 a.m.
Computer crimes experts traced the email to Malaysia.
“I have zero tolerance for anyone who makes threats against a school, a house of worship, a business, or, for that matter, threatens anyone,” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. “If we can determine who that person is, regardless of where they are in the world, we will prosecute if at all possible.”
An email from Oxford Community Schools was sent out Monday morning informing families that the high school had gone into “secure protocol,” meaning students and employees were told to stay inside.
School officials said the focus of the investigation was “outside the building,” and police later confirmed they had searched the parking lot.
Now that the threat has been discredited, police will try to figure out its origin.
“In the past, we successfully identified an individual responsible for a threat emanating from England,” Bouchard said. “Working with our national and international partners, actions were brought against them there. Unfortunately, some countries do not have treaties with America. I will never accept the traumatization of our community.”
Here is the full message that was sent out by the school earlier in the day:
At 10 a.m. Monday, Feb. 26, 2024, Oxford High School went into a secure protocol due to a threat that has been made from outside of the building. Students and employees are safe and have been asked to stay inside until further notice. Oakland County Sheriff’s Office has informed us no one will be able to enter or exit Oxford High School or the parking lot at this time. We are working with the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office as they investigate this matter.
The focus of the threat is outside of the building in the parking lot. Police are on site, and they are investigating cars in Oxford High School’s parking lots. Additional information will be communicated to you as soon as it becomes available. Please help us cooperate with the investigation. You are asked to avoid this area until further notice. Traffic in and out of the area is restricted.
As a reminder, we have numerous safety layers in place, such as weapons detection systems that operate 24/7, an armed security force, a weapons detection dog, and visitor management system to safeguard the school.
Safety is a top priority. We appreciate the quick reporting and continue to encourage our school community to report school safety concerns in a timely manner to law enforcement and school administration.
Oxford Community Schools
