St. Clair Shores man, 20, accused of intentionally threatening a school to stand trial

A judge has ruled that a 20-year-old St. Clair Shores, Michigan, man facing three charges in connection with an alleged plan to attack a school will stand trial, the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office said Friday. 

Joel Edwards was charged in December with one count each of intentional threat to commit an act of violence against school students or employees, using a computer to commit a crime and felony firearm. The St. Clair Shores judge ruled at the end of a preliminary exam on Friday that "sufficient evidence exists" to bind him over for trial on all counts, the prosecutor's office said.

The St. Clair Shores Police Department conducted a cyber threat investigation and welfare check on Edwards last September, according to the prosecutor's office. 

Prosecutors said the probe started after the FBI reached out to the Michigan State Police about TikTok videos "allegedly associated to Edwards" that mentioned a desire to carry out a mass shooting. The state agency then contacted police in St. Clair Shores.

Police allegedly found weapons in Edwards' possession, the prosecutor's office said. He has been in custody since Sept. 13 when he was held for a mental health evaluation. 

"Any credible threat to our schools or public spaces must be taken with the utmost gravity, because the potential consequences are unthinkable," Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido said in a news release on Friday. "I urge community members to remain vigilant and to report concerning behavior or information promptly so that intervention can occur before harm is done."

Edwards' bond was set by the judge in December at $5 million. He'll be required to wear a GPS tether, stay at home and have no contact with any school building or student if he posts that amount.