Grandmother of suspect in school graduation shooting plot: 'I think it's crazy' | FOX 2 Detroit

Grandmother of suspect in school graduation shooting plot: 'I think it's crazy'

A shooting at a Pontiac high school graduation ceremony was foiled by police with two suspects taken into custody.

What they're saying:

On Friday night, one of the suspect's relatives spoke to FOX 2, in disbelief.

She says there is no way her grandson would ever be involved in something like this because he has a child of his own and would be throwing his life away to prison.

But the Oakland County Sheriff's Office says they uncovered a plot that they link directly to Jamarion Hardiman and another man all thanks to a tip a witness saw on Snapchat.

"I think it’s crazy. I really do," said Lavonda Newburn.

Newburn finds it hard to believe her grandson, 20-year-old Jamarion Hardiman would be wanted for allegedly planning a mass shooting at a Pontiac high school graduation, but that’s exactly why Oakland County law enforcement says they took him into custody.

"He knows that’s prison time," she said. "Anybody know that. He’s only 20. He ain’t trying to throw away his life. And that’s what he would be doing if he was doing a massive (sic) shooting."

Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard announced Hardiman’s arrest hours after making a plea for him to surrender.

A 19-year-old was also nabbed.

Related

Investigators allege the two planted weapons under cars at a graduation ceremony held for Art and Technology Academy at the United Wholesale Mortgage sports complex on Tuesday.

Deputies originally got to the scene for a fight when a witness told them about a message on Snapchat said to include a threat to open fire on the ceremony.

"I believe that probably prevented a mass shooting when you consider the weapons that were there," Bouchard said. "The individuals that were involved who had a history of being involved with weapons."

Dig deeper:

Law enforcement worked with staff security at the event and said they found evidence pointing to the suspects placing these guns under vehicles, including a black and pink firearm and a Glock both set with 80 rounds between them.

FOX 2: "The investigators are saying this was a foiled mass attack."

"Oh that’s crazy. Because there was no shooting at all," Newburn said. "They had no shooting in there. I saw the whole video. I was up there and I still ain’t seen no shooting happen yet."

FOX 2: "What kind of guy is he? What kind of person is he?

"Well he just likes to play basketball and run around with a couple friends," she said. "He don’t have a lot of friends. "

Newburn says that Hardiman doesn't have a gun and doesn't know of any circumstance that could lead to this.

"I don’t know. That I can’t answer, but I know he didn’t have a gun, so, and I don’t know about who was with him," she said. "I don’t know that person or none of that. "

Sheriff Bouchard says neither suspect is enrolled at the school and the motive is not clear. Lavonda Newburn says she stands behind her grandson.

"I talk to my grandson every day," she said. "Every day. My daughter has four kids. I talk to all of them every day."

FOX 2: "And he never said anything that would indicate a problem or a concern ?

"No. But I do know the boys jumped on him," she said. "I don’t know who had a gun but they was just all fighting. Not shooting at each other, so I don’t know where the massive shooting come from or none of that."

Bouchard says Hardiman is on probation for a weapons charge and has a criminal history involving violence.

FOX 2 asked what the motive may have been but Sheriff Bouchard only said people are quick to violence these days.

He also said he supports criminal justice reform for non-violent offenders but believes the system needs to do a better job of holding people connected to violent crime responsible.

The Source: Information from Sheriff Bourchard and an interview with Lavonda Newburn was used in this report.

Crime and Public SafetyPontiacOakland County