Surge in school threats • Obama coming to Detroit • Suspect tied to 2 homicides arrested

THURSDAY NEWS HIT - Students at Novi High School were sent home early Wednesday after a threat was found written in a bathroom made school officials shelter everyone in place.

The same thing happened at Rochester High School, also Wednesday.

"It's the same kind of thing where something was posted in a bathroom, implying someone was going to shoot up a school," said Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard.

On Tuesday South Lyon High School parents were jolted by similar news, just as two were killed and more were hurt in an actual high school shooting in St Louis.

"So we got a notification, an email from the school district, that said there was a threat in the school," said Erin Jedrusik. "There was going to be a shooting today."

That threat was also written on a bathroom wall.

But Jedrusik, who has two kids at South Lyon High School, did not like how things were handled.

"My assumption was everything's left in the building, get the kids out of the school," she said. "Much to my surprise they actually locked down the facility, and locked all the children in their classrooms.

"The concern as a parent, obviously, is that If there is somebody with a gun in the building you've now locked them in a classroom with other children - and their safety's now put into danger so why not evacuate the building."

The incident coming a few weeks after another threat made against East High School in South Lyon.

So what is going on?

"It's hard to wrap your head around, especially given the fact we had a real school shooting here and the terror and fear that that caused and continues to cause," Bouchard said.

The Oxford High School shooting still fresh in the mind of the Oakland County Sheriff, who says extensive resources are exhausted in handling unfounded threats alone.

"Thousands and thousands of hours because we sent people, first and foremost if it's against a school for example, to the school to make sure the school is safe," he said. "To make sure there are no weapons in the school, to make sure like yesterday we went classroom by classroom, to make sure every room was cleared before we released the students out to go home for the day."

The sheriff says a threat is still a crime even if it's a bluff or the person making it does not have the means to carry it out. He says kids can do serious time at Children's Village juvenile home for making false threats.

He says parents really have to know what's going on with their kids.

Blighted property boarded up ahead of park reopening

Detroit residents rejoiced after a dilapidated structure in the Northwest Goldberg neighborhood was boarded up. The massive home that could have doubled as a haunted house. It had already suffered from neglect and received dozens of violation notices and over $9,000 in fines. 

Detroit's chief enforcement officer said the city took on the role of the home because the owner had failed to do so. It's currently in the demolition pipeline. 

"You have children walking back and forth, you have families walking back and forth," said Daniel Washington. "You can't keep track of them all, but you’d hope they can arrive safely to a space like this and have fun."

Washington is in charge of the community group that oversees the welfare of the neighborhood. Northwest Goldberg Cares helped build Curtis Jones Park and also had concerns about the blighted building, which is set to open Thursday morning.

Obama coming to Detroit

Former President Barack Obama will be in Detroit this weekend to campaign for Gretchen Whitmer, who is locked in a consequential race for governor. 

The former president is traveling to Michigan as the 2022 Midterm race reaches the final stretch. He'll be at Renaissance High School in Detroit as part of a Get Out the Vote Rally, which is being hosted by the Michigan Democratic Party.

Along with Obama and Whitmer, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist will also be in attendance. The event is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 29 at 12 p.m. While President Joe Biden has made multiple trips to Michigan over the past two years, Obama has been in the public eye less. 

A release about the event said speakers will focus on abortion, voting rights, and public education - all themes that have taken central stage in the Michigan election. While Whitmer has maintained a sizable advantage in fundraising, polls have showed the race between her and Republican Tudor Dixon tightening in recent weeks. 

SUV struck 10 times in Southfield Freeway shooting in Detroit

The driver of an SUV was shot at several times while traveling on the Southfield Freeway in Detroit early Thursday morning. State police got a call from the Detroit Regional Command Center after they were contacted about a shooting that happened on the freeway around 12:40 a.m.

According to the caller, he was driving a green Chevrolet Suburban in the left lane when a white Chevrolet Suburban with an unknown plate pulled up alongside him in the center lane and fired multiple shots at his vehicle.

Michigan State Police posted about the incident on Twitter, but did not mention a reason for the assault. When the caller saw the suspect vehicle exit the freeway at Seven Mile, the driver traveled up to Northwestern Highway near 12 Mile Road and called police. 

Police that responded counted approximately 10 bullet holes in the victim's vehicle. The caller suffered minor injuries from cuts due to shattered glass. The vehicle was eventually towed to the Metro South Post for evidence after an interview with the caller. 

Suspect in 2 homicides arrested after fleeing Detroit police

Detroit police arrested a suspect who was wanted in two different homicides in Detroit after the individual fled officers before crashing at Plymouth and Evergreen on Detroit's west side. Deputy Chief Franklin Hayes said the individual had eluded officers throughout the day.

Multiple traffic stops were initiated on the suspect, who continued to avoid stopping until crashing, striking two other vehicles in the process. But even then, they still tried to get away. "After this violent individual fled out of the crashed vehicle, he attempted to carjack a white vehicle forcing the driver out, trying to flee officers," Hayes said.

Cmdr. Ian Severy said a weapon was also found in the suspect's vehicle. "On the floorboard underneath the gas pedal were multiple spent casings from a rifle," Severy said. "In addition to that, there was a rifle located on the floorboard of the passenger seat."

The discovery led to a warrant that revealed more evidence at a home nearby. Police also found an assault-style pistol with a 100-round drum, an AR-15, a semi-auto shotgun, and another handgun. Police did not release any details about the homicides in question. 

Live on FOX 2

Daily Forecast

Plan on a pair of cooler days to end the week before temperatures bump up into the 60s this weekend. But beware, it could be a chilly game for UM-MSU and there is potential for rain on Sunday. 

What else we're watching

1. Oakland County will need to sift through hundreds of submissions to find the best artwork for its monthly calendar about clean water and air. The Kids' Clean Water Contest challenges children to depict the importance of natural resources and what is lost when they are dirtied. Watch the clip here.
2. With election day nearing in Michigan, county clerks are showing off their election equipment in advance of Nov. 8. In Oakland County, the register of deeds Lisa Brown will invite the public to watch the public accuracy test of the county's equipment. That's scheduled for 9 a.m.
3. The Halloween weather forecast is looking a bit dicey. The Trick-or-Treat conditions Monday could be rainy, could be dry. Here's what to expect from Derek Kevra's forecast.
4. A new study is set to be released looking at the harmful effects of algal blooms in the Great Lakes. New funding will also be announced to help protect the Great Lakes from future contamination. 
5. RSV hospitalizations are on the rise across the U.S. While Covid and the flu have been the main issues that worried health officials, it's another respiratory disease that is impacting children. 

Kanye shows up at Skechers LA offices, gets escorted out: 'No intention of working with West'

Kanye West, the rapper who now goes by Ye, was recently escorted out of Skechers' corporate offices in Los Angeles after showing up unannounced, according to authorities.

In a press release Wednesday, the company said that West showed up "unannounced and without invitation" at one of the company's LA offices, and was allegedly filming without the company's permission.

"Two Skechers executives escorted him and his party from the building after a brief conversation. Skechers is not considering and has no intention of working with West."

In a comment recently posted on his Twitter account, West said he was "going death con 3 (sic) On JEWISH PEOPLE." While West had not been working with Skechers, he's lost multiple professional partnerships in recent days in the fallout the antisemitic comments, including a multi-million dollar deal with Adidas. Hollywood talent agency CAA has dropped West as a client, and athletes including Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald have dropped West's sports management company Donda Sports.

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