Nik Rajkovic / news@whmi.com

Three 16-year-olds were due in Oakland County juvenile court Wednesday afternoon, charged with making social media threats against South Lyon East High School this week. Sheriff Mike Bouchard wants to make it clear his department will not tolerate school threats of any kind or nature.

“Two of them have been charged with a threat of terrorism. Twenty-year felonies. And the third is charged with an intentional threat to commit violence against the school. That’s a one-year misdemeanor,” he told reporters Wednesday.

Sheriff Bouchard says his office also investigated unrelated, but similar threats made against schools in Independence and Orion townships, along with the city of Pontiac.

“We’re just barely into the school year, and that’s five threatening or concerning posts we’ve investigated already in the last five days. It has to stop. People need to talk to their kids and they need to share information."

The threats continue even after last week’s school shooting in Georgia, this summer’s splash pad shooting in Rochester Hills, 2023’s shooting at Michigan State University and 2021’s Oxford High School shooting.

“It’s numbing to think that people are still saying things. Even if they don’t intend to carry it out, it’s a crime. And it will be investigated and subject to any and all appropriate penalties,” Bouchard added.

Photo courtesy of Dale Fisher.

Press release attached.