Macomb County High School Secure After Reports Of Gunman
HARRISON TWP. (WWJ) - A Macomb County high school is no longer under lockdown after several people reported seeing someone in the neighborhood with a gun.
"Everyone is fine, the school has been searched and actually we have the individual that entered the school and we're questioning him right now," said Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham.
Wickersham said the situation began Tuesday morning after a former student, who was dressed in camouflage, was spotted walking through the hallways of L'anse Creuse High School, near 16 Mile Road and I-94 in Harrison Township.
"He's an Air Force man from Selfridge National Guard, and he came to the school to get a letter of recommendation. He was met by a janitor and he left the school because the counselors weren't in. He did speak to a counselor that was out in the parking lot and he left," Wickersham said.
The man's presence at the school, however, prompted some neighbors to contact officials, fearing he might have had a weapon. But Wickersham said the man didn't have a gun.
"He just got off work. He was actually in his military fatigues. He did have a holster, but the weapon was secured on the base, which is protocol," he said.
Citing recent events, such as the deadly mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, Wickersham said the man's clothing choice was a horrible decision.
"My opinion, it was just a poor judgement coming to the school dressed like that," he said. "In these times today with what's going on, somebody dressed like that coming into a school is going to raise everybody's adrenaline."
Regardless, Wickersham said he was just thankful no one at the school was hurt or in danger.
"The school acted properly, they contacted us as soon as they were made aware of it and we responded accordingly and searched the school, did what we had to do. We'll just chalk this one up to experience," he said.
As for conflicting reports whether the school was evacuated or not, Wickersham said classes at school were actually already canceled for the day due to a building problem, so no students were in the building.
"The school was never opened. They closed the school, they closed the middle school next door and also the elementary school. So, school will not be in session today," he said.
Classes are expected to resume Wednesday as normal.
