Schools in Negaune closed Wednesday over threat report | News, Sports, Jobs

NEGAUNEE — Negaunee Public Schools were closed Wednesday due to safety concerns, and administrators stressed there was no danger to students and staff.

The City of Negaunee Police Department received information from the FBI Detroit Field Office that a 15-year-old student had threatened a school shooting via the social media application Snapchat.

Negaunee Public Schools Superintendent Dan Skewis was notified immediately, following safety protocols and closing schools Wednesday.

“Good morning. As you know, NPS is closed today due to a safety concern we received this morning from the FBI and the Negaunee Police Department. At 6:35 this morning, we received an email from our police department stating that a 15-year-old boy had posted a message on Snapchat stating that there would be violence at the school today.” I got a call.” Skewis said in an email to parents. “Due to the timing of the incident and the fact that some of our students had already boarded the school bus, upon this information, the decision was made to cancel all buildings. At 7:06 I received a call from the Negaunee Police Department. Our department informed us that although the child lived in Negaunee, he attended school in a neighboring district, so the threat was not located near NPS and did not target any of our school buildings.

“This news is both comforting and frustrating at the same time. Schools will remain closed for a day due to the difficulty of getting students to school in such a short time. All after-school activities will take place as planned. We will always prioritize the safety of students and staff in our activities. I apologize for this inconvenience. I hope you can enjoy your day.

The student, who admitted making the threat but claimed it was a joke, and the student’s father, who confirmed that the student had neither the ability nor the means to carry out the threat, were contacted.

Safety concerns were taken seriously by other school districts in the area. Negaunee Public Schools was the only school in the area to close, as NICE Community Schools and Marquette Area Public Schools remained open but were notified during the investigation.

“Our local law enforcement system worked well with Negaunee’s management.” Bryan DeAugustine, superintendent of NICE Community Schools, said via Facebook posts on the NICE Community School District page. “Negaunee reacted quickly and acted cautiously. We stayed in the loop throughout the entire process. Local law enforcement quickly brought the problem under control. If there were any questions we would have closed too. Times are strange and exhausting. However, I have great confidence in our own schools, as well as our local law enforcement and neighboring schools.

“To reiterate, we have been kept informed throughout this morning’s incident. Our law enforcement agencies took notice and took immediate action. “Our school district was not involved.”

Marquette Area Public Schools Superintendent Zack Sedgwick said in a statement: “This morning, MAPS administration was made aware of a social media post that implied a threat of violence against a school. By the time MAPS Administration was notified, the source had already been identified and interviewed. According to the police investigation, no MAPS students were directed to do so.” There was no valid threat, so it has been determined that MAPS will remain open today. This person’s comments cannot be tolerated in any way, and it is our intention to work with law enforcement to ensure this person is held accountable for his actions. Unfortunately, due to the timing of the threatening comments, a neighboring county is forced to close. remained.

“Please know that there is no threat to MAPS students again. Social media has enabled the dissemination of information quickly and easily. Please use this as an opportunity to educate your child on the importance of proper use of social media. It is critical that students understand that any threats will be taken seriously and will be subject to serious disciplinary action.

“As always, the safety of our students is our priority. If you learn of any concerning comments or behavior, please notify school officials or law enforcement. Finally, I would like to express my deepest appreciation to our law enforcement agency for their prompt attention to this matter. “The diligence of these officials is extremely important as MAPS continues to provide the safest possible learning environment for our students and staff.”