The Escanaba, Gladstone, and Holy Name Schools…as well as Bay College and the Delta-Schoolcraft ISD…briefly went into lockdown late Thursday morning after officials received word of a threat.
Police from multiple Delta County agencies were at the schools within minutes, and school officials went into lockdown protocol.
The Escanaba Public Safety Department says it started at about 11:15 in the morning when a student received a text message that claimed someone was outside of the Escanaba High School with a gun.
Law enforcement teamed up quickly in a coordinated response. While officers did thorough search of the interior of the school, and surrounding areas, schools throughout Delta County were urged to lock down as a precaution.
At about 1:00, police found and identified the person responsible for the threat. Escanaba Public Safety says that it is continuing to gather information as the investigation continues.
Besides law enforcement actions, school officials in all of the local districts worked quickly on their own protocols as the police investigated. Escanaba Public Safety, in a statement, praised the “professionalism and preparedness” on the part of school staff as they kept kids safe.
In the end, there were no injuries, although many kids and their parents were emotionally shaken up by the dramatic events. Counselors and administrators are available for students to reach out to.
Escanaba School Superintendent Dr. Coby Fletcher posted a letter to the community that reads as follows:
At approximately 11:15 a.m. today, a student at the Escanaba Junior/Senior High School reported to school administrators that a threat was texted to her phone. The threat came from what appeared to be a local number, and the person making the threat stated that they were outside the Junior/Senior High School building with a gun.
The Escanaba Area Public Schools is committed to maintaining a secure environment. As part of this effort, we follow well established procedures designed to maximize the safety of our students and staff. Per these procedures, the Junior/Senior High School went into immediate Lockdown and law enforcement was notified. All other District campuses received an automated notification and also locked down.
Law enforcement subsequently created a safety perimeter around the Junior/Senior High School building and thoroughly searched the school, including classrooms. Law enforcement was also present at other district campuses. Officers subsequently determined that there was no immediate threat to the school.
Out of an abundance of caution, schools were asked to remain in secure mode until 1:30 p.m. before resuming normal operations.
The investigation into the origin of the text threat is ongoing, and questions related to this are referred to Escanaba Public Safety.
We express our appreciation to the student who quickly notified school authorities of the text threat, to our staff who carefully followed emergency protocols, and to our local and state law enforcement agencies for their rapid and thorough response.
While we attempt to provide information in a timely manner, specific details are not always readily available or verifiable, situations develop quickly and change rapidly, and our immediate priority is to respond to potential threats in a way that ensures our buildings remain safe and secure. We are grateful for the patience and understanding of our school community as we respond to circumstances like those that occurred today.
Student safety always comes first. Finally, we understand that these situations are difficult and stressful. Trained staff are available in each building to help students deal with the fear and anxiety that can result when emergencies happen. If there is a need for mental or emotional support, please reach out to a school administrator or counselor who will arrange for immediate assistance.
Gladstone Superintendent Dr. Jay Kulbertis also issued a letter to parents and to the community Thursday evening. It reads as follows:
At about 11:30, the Gladstone High School principal, Andy Jacques, was informed that Escanaba High School was in lockdown due to a potential threat. There was a rumor at that time that the threat was made by a Gladstone student, so we put all of our buildings into a soft lockdown/secure hold.
In communication with local law enforcement it was learned that they were searching for an unidentified student. Since we could not be sure that the student was not a GHS student, we put GHS into a full lockdown.
Our other buildings remained at secure hold.
By about 12:30, we had learned that the Escanaba Schools and the ISD were exiting from the lockdown. Based on communication with our local law enforcement officers, all of our buildings were kept in a secure status until about 1:00, when we were informed that the suspected student was in police custody in Escanaba.
We need everyone to know that while this was not a drill, it was handled in the exact same way that we practice these scenarios.
All of our students were kept safe and none were in danger at any time. We thank all of our Gladstone parents for their understanding and cooperation. We can assure you that the safety of our students is our top priority. Of course, we are relieved that the rumor was false, and that no Gladstone students were involved in the threatening incident.
Furthermore, we are grateful for the excellent work of our local enforcement officers and our fast-acting school personnel. Thank you, again, for trusting us with your students every day.
Delta-Schoolcraft ISD Statement via Facebook:
Today at 11:19 am we received a phone call from EHS administration that they were going into a lock down situation. Based on the information received, standard response protocol was followed.
The DSISD administration immediately put the school in a “secure” at 11:19 am per Michigan State Police Office of School Safety guidelines and remained in a “secure” until law enforcement approved the all clear at 1:25pm. See the image below for an explanation of what the standard response protocols are. Exterior doors were locked and student and staff traffic was prohibited.
Staff then escorted students to return to their local schools at roughly 1:30 pm (Gladstone, Hannahville, and ESSC). Then the entire CTE staff and DSISD admin team, with law enforcement approval and escort, brought the remaining EHS students back to EHS for reunification and next steps.
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