Northville High School classes to resume Wednesday after threatening call prompts lockdown
Northville High School says classes will resume on Wednesday after a threatening phone call on Tuesday prompted a lockdown.
According to Northville Township police, the high school received the call at about noon. Northville Township and Canton police responded to the scene.
Superintendent RJ Webber says the immediate lockdown occurred during lunchtime, and students were dismissed and asked to leave their backpacks behind. Webber says police swept the parking lot, but nothing was found.
Authorities say that based on the "current information available, there is not a credible threat."
Police have brought in a K-9 unit to assist with the investigation. Neighboring law enforcement agencies are also responding.
Six Mile Road, between Beck and Sheldon roads near the school, was temporarily closed during the investigation. Northville Township police said that section of Six Mile Road was back open at about 2:49 p.m.
Parents and guardians are being asked to stay away from the school and instead go to Ward Church at 40000 Six Mile Road.
Webber sent out a note to staff, saying in part, "We recognize how stressful and alarming events like this are. Balancing your own concern while staying calm, managing anxious classrooms, keeping students secure, and executing dismissal protocols with absolute professionalism is no easy task. You handled every moment with grace, courage, and composure."
Classes will resume on Wednesday with additional support for students, Webber says.
This comes one day after school officials in Dearborn and Dearborn Heights said they received bomb threats.
Dearborn Heights Superintendent Mark Kleinhans said Bedford Elementary received a voicemail with a threatening message over the weekend. School officials called 911 after retrieving the voicemail on Monday, prompting an evacuation.
Classes resumed on Tuesday.
In Dearborn, Superintendent Mike Esseily said multiple schools in their district received voicemails with automated robocall bomb threats. Esseily said Dearborn police worked with federal authorities to investigate the threats.
The Michigan school safety tipline program is known as OK2SAY. The program provides steps that anyone can use 24/7 to report potentially harmful or criminal activities involving students or a school campus.
