Oakland County Sheriff averted mass shooting at school graduation in Pontiac

Michigan graduation mass shooting plan foiled by authorities

A plan to carry out a mass shooting at a graduation ceremony in Pontiac was thwarted by authorities who were dispatched to the event due to a fight. While Oakland County Sheriff's deputies were there, they learned that a person was plotting to shoot up the ceremony, and used that information to stop it.

PONTIAC, Mich. (FOX 2) - The Oakland County Sheriff says deputies have arrested two people after averting a mass shooting at a high school graduation ceremony in Pontiac.

It happened earlier this week.

What we know:

The Oakland County Sheriff's Office arrested a 20-year-old man in connection with a June 3 plot to carry out a mass shooting at a graduation ceremony in Pontiac. Days earlier, their took a 19-year-old into custody in connection with the plan.

Jamarion Jaryante Hardiman was arrested after he allegedly planned to fire on a crowd at the ceremony, which was held at the United Wholesale Mortgage Sports Complex. It was for the Arts and Technology Academy of Pontiac.

Neither has been arraigned as of Friday afternoon.

Both men allegedly placed packages under vehicles at the venue, which were later discovered to obtain two firearms containing 80 rounds of ammunition between them.

Neither suspect is enrolled at the school, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said Friday. 

The 20-year-old suspect is being sought in connection with a planned mass casualty event that police foiled earlier this week.

Dig deeper:

Sheriff deputies were first dispatched to the venue after a fight broke out between individuals at the ceremony. Working with security at the venue, a preliminary investigation by police uncovered a larger plot.

Relief felt after suspected mass shooting plan foiled in Pontiac

Loved ones of students at the Pontiac charter high school shared their thoughts after the tragedy was averted.

An individual approached police about information from a family member that a Snapchat message previously seen included a threat to shoot up the ceremony.

"In our business, we call that a clue," Bouchard said.

The details were relayed to police who later found packages underneath vehicles, each containing loaded weapons. One was an AR-style pistol with a round drum that included 40 rounds of ammunition.

The second weapon was a semi-automatic Glock handgun with a stick magazine, also containing 40 rounds of ammunition. Both were unregistered.

What we don't know:

Police did not identify the 19-year-old suspect currently in police custody. 

Bouchard was asked about a motive behind the planned attack, but only said that people "are quick to violence these days."

"For whatever reason, they think is the solution, whether it's to go shoot up a school or house of worship, it's hard to figure out what a motive is these days," he said.