Three students charged after gun recovered at high school

CENTER LINE — After a police investigation conducted by the Center Line Public Safety Department, three Center Line High School students are facing charges after one of them allegedly brought a handgun to school May 13.

On May 14, the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office issued a press release stating that three students were charged in the incident. Two students were charged with lying to police, a high-court misdemeanor (felony) punishable up to two years, and with violating a weapons-free school zone, a misdemeanor punishable up to 93 days.

The third student was charged with the following crimes: receiving and concealing a weapon, a felony punishable up to 10 years; carrying and concealed weapon, a felony punishable up to five years; lying to police; and a weapons-free school zone violation.

The names of those charged were not released due to their ages.

On May 14, a preliminary hearing before Macomb County Juvenile Court Referee Michael Gibbs was held for the third student. He waived his preliminary hearing, and his bond was denied. The student was ordered to remain in the Macomb County Juvenile Justice Center, the press release states.

The other two students are scheduled to have preliminary hearings at a later date.

“We take gun possession in a school very seriously. Such conduct in schools not only endangers the safety of the students and faculty, but it also disrupts the entire educational environment,” Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido said. “Our priority is to ensure the safety and well-being of all students and faculty, and we will vigorously pursue all available charges to stop such behavior.”

On May 13, Center Line Public Schools Superintendent Joseph Haynes issued a letter to the school community. He said that a parent contacted the high school office and shared that their child viewed a photo of a student in a restroom with what appeared to be a handgun.

Administrators immediately contacted Center Line Public Safety, and the high school was placed on lockdown. The student in the photo was identified and apprehended. During the investigation, other students were interviewed and found in possession of a handgun. The lockdown lasted about 50 minutes.

On May 14, Haynes issued a second letter to follow up on the incident. He reiterated that a student brought a handgun to school. He also said that during the lockdown local police, administrators and staff interviewed multiple students, which resulted in the location of the handgun. Reports that two guns were recovered in the high school were inaccurate, Haynes said.   

“One student brought a handgun to the high school. Multiple students met up in a restroom and took pictures with the gun.  All of those individuals were apprehended, taken into police custody, and will be prosecuted for their role in yesterday’s incident,” Haynes said.

In the second letter, Haynes also said that part of the district’s emergency response plan is to inform parents of major events in a timely manner. While he tries to supply enough information to families so that they understand what occurred and how the district responded, specific details are left out so as not to interfere with police investigations.