FeedsPolice investigate threat at John Glenn
Wayne-Westland school officials continue to search for the individual who scribbled a possible threat on a bathroom partition at John Glenn High School last week.
According to a letter John Glenn High School principal Joan Sedik sent home with students on Friday, each classroom was informed of the situation during first hour. According to the letter, students were told that an “ambiguous message” was discovered and that “no specific threat was made.” Wayne-Westland School Superintendent Gregory Baracy confirmed Monday that the writing on the partition included a message that could potentially be construed as ominous, ending with the phrase “wait until Friday.”
“There was no specific threat,” he said. “We don’t know what it referred to.”
However, he said that it is district policy to be “proactive” in the case of even possible threats, so the police were called in.
“If we get threats, we will take them seriously,” said Baracy.
According to Lt. Dan Karrick of the Westland Police Department, officers within the department and specially trained canine officers were dispatched to the school as a precaution after the statement was discovered. He said that the officers remained at the school for most of the day although they discovered nothing untoward. The search continues for the individual involved.
“It’s under investigation right now,” said Karrick.
If the writer is caught, Baracy said that the district will do everything it can to prosecute the offender. He added that in addition to standard district punishments, the culprit could potentially be held responsible for the costs associated with the disruption.
Baracy stressed that there had been no real threat and that district had simply been taking precautionary steps. He added that in today’s society, “we should always be concerned about our safety everywhere.”
“Schools are still the safest place for kids to be,” Baracy said.
According to Karrick, the greatest assistance parents can provide is simply paying attention to their children.
“They certainly want to know where their kids are going and what they’re doing,” he said. “Hopefully, these things cane be headed off somehow.”
He added that, in many instances, preparations such as gaining access to and storing weapons precipitated the violence preceded the actual incidents. Karrick added that in some instances, more attention from adults might have resulted in advance knowledge of the situation that could help avert a tragedy.
However, he added when vaguely threatening messages such as the one found at John Glenn are discovered, they frequently have a more mundane purpose.
“A lot of times it’s the kids trying to just get out of school,” said Karrick.
Anyone with information on the situation is asked to contact the Westland Police Department at (734) 722-9600.
