Willow Run High School locked down after student found with ammunition
As of 12:50 p.m., Willow Run High School and Willow Run Middle School were no longer locked down.
Willow Run High School was locked down Wednesday morning after a student showed up with a handful of handgun ammunition, Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office officials said.
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Derrick Jackson, Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office director of community engagement, said deputies were called at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday to the high school, 235 Spencer Lane, after being notified that a student had ammunition.
“The kid had ammunition on him but did not have a weapon on him,” Jackson said. “He claims there is not a weapon.”
Jackson said the ammunition was a “handful of rounds.”.
Investigators from the sheriff’s office went through the high school to make sure there is no weapon, Jackson said. The lockdown was precautionary.
Jackson said some parents showed up to the school for everyday business late Wednesday morning and were unable to get inside, due to the lockdown.
Emma Jackson, spokeswoman for the Washtenaw Intermediate School District, said at 12:50 p.m. the high school was given the all clear. She said a lockdown drill was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon and was moved up after the ammunition was discovered.
"The Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Department was contacted and under their advisement, as a precautionary measure, the entire high school and middle school complex was placed on lock-down," Emma Jackson said in an email. "After a search of the building, no weapons were discovered and all students and staff are safe."
Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Comments
G-Man
Thu, Apr 18, 2013 : 3:14 p.m.
I don't know how the kid could come up with ammo. I stop at the stores several times a week and can't buy any......
sherrys
Thu, Apr 18, 2013 : 11:21 a.m.
That's why more Parents are sending their kids to a Acadamy. But to me Willow Run Is the worst school they tell your kids they can quit school at the age of 16 and without a parents permission.
G-Man
Thu, Apr 18, 2013 : 3:15 p.m.
"an academy"
jns131
Thu, Apr 18, 2013 : 2:24 p.m.
They are trying to change that in Michigan to 18. Don't know if they succeeded yet or not. But, yes, laws need to change to keep children in school.
hg
Thu, Apr 18, 2013 : 2:55 a.m.
For those of you (Cory C) who do not think it is serious when ammunition is brought into a school, obviously you're not a parent of school age kids. When you are, you'll "get it" and be quite conceerned. I was there teaching today and the staff and students acted admirably and professionally. After Connecticut, and Columbine, etc, any normal person would be concerned.
Cory C
Thu, Apr 18, 2013 : 11:51 a.m.
You seem to think that mass murder at schools started at Columbine, and that this is actually a huge problem. Hate to burst your bubble, but mass shootings/killings have been at a constant level since the 1800's. It's simply been publicized more. Nothing currently in the works will stop a determined psychopath. No background check, No mental health awareness campaign, no "Gun-free" zone, no metal detectors or any of that is going to stop someone who wants to hurt people. Risk is a part of life. Sad, but it is. To freak out and hide in a bomb shelter every time lightning strikes is not only highly wasteful but also emphasizes to the people thinking of committing these crimes that "Hey, if I do this, I'll be remembered forever! Something I did will go down in history!" Tell me, can you name any of the children shot at Sandy Hook? Or is it that you can only name the shooter? I hope some day you "get it" and allow your kids to play outside again.
beardown
Thu, Apr 18, 2013 : 3:58 a.m.
Very well said.
John of Saline
Wed, Apr 17, 2013 : 8:26 p.m.
Huh. A friend of mine brought a rifle blank to school once, perhaps 30 years ago now. At the time, it was considered odd and perhaps not the best move, but no one panicked. He's a professor now in the East somewhere.
jns131
Thu, Apr 18, 2013 : 2:25 p.m.
It failed due to deep pockets of the gun lobbies. We really need to put these people on notice.
Jaime Magiera
Thu, Apr 18, 2013 : 1:59 a.m.
People with psychological issues are shooting up schools, jobs, religious buildings, etc. with high powered guns. People with psychological issues are randomly blowing up public sporting events. Yes, times have changed as we see an increase in destructive weaponry and mental illness. The faster we acknowledge that, the better off we will be as a society. Regrettably, as evidenced by the vote on Senate Amendment No. 715 today, some people are still in denial.
jns131
Wed, Apr 17, 2013 : 10:35 p.m.
Pioneer High School use to have a rifle range in the basement. My times have changed haven't they?
a2citizen
Wed, Apr 17, 2013 : 10:10 p.m.
Harvard ?
Ponycar
Wed, Apr 17, 2013 : 8:10 p.m.
The boys parents better not spank him, they'll go to prison for child abuse. I think a good, long time-out will do the trick!
John of Saline
Wed, Apr 17, 2013 : 9:19 p.m.
Yeah, five minutes. Maybe even seven.
Kyle Feldscher
Wed, Apr 17, 2013 : 6:02 p.m.
Derrick Jackson told me the boy who brought the ammunition to school will not face criminal charges but he will be punished through the school.
Ray Walker
Wed, Apr 17, 2013 : 8:52 p.m.
Laws are always open to interpretation. There is essentially explosive powder in a handgun, rifle, or shotgun shell. Ammunition could be interpreted to be explosive ordinance. Also, can be "detonated" or fired with anything that can strike the primer and ignite the powder.
baker437
Wed, Apr 17, 2013 : 8:26 p.m.
Full law is found here: http://trac.syr.edu/laws/18/18USC00922.html "2) It shall be unlawful for any person who is a juvenile to knowingly possess - (A) a handgun; or (B) ammunition that is suitable for use only in a handgun." Note point B "suitable for use only in a handgun" every round that is suitable for handgun has some model of rifle or carbine that fires it so the "only" would make much of this law not enforceable in my opinion. Also if he is 18 than it is a lot enforceable. Overall next time they say they won't press charges on you asked what law did I break? Isn't that civil rights 101.
beardown
Wed, Apr 17, 2013 : 7:33 p.m.
18 USC ยง 922(b). (http://www.justice.gov/usao/ut/psn/documents/guncard.pdf) "A person under age 18 may not possess a handgun or handgun-only ammunition;" If I am reading it correctly, the kid could have faced up to five years in prison. If anyone should get into trouble, it should be the kids parents. Something tells me that the gun that the ammunition was intended for probably wasn't locked up either.
baker437
Wed, Apr 17, 2013 : 6:40 p.m.
A gun is a weapon. Ammunition I am not sure it would classified as a weapon alone under the law. I know a store cannot sell ammo for handguns to people that are under 21 and long guns it is under 18, but I did not think the law prohibits them from having ammunition unless this falls under the federal laws regarding school zones. Please provide a link to the law you are referencing.
Kyle Feldscher
Wed, Apr 17, 2013 : 6:32 p.m.
baker- I'm taking a look at some laws (just a quick search) and I'm not finding anything specifically against "possession of ammunition." However, if the student is under 18, that could have potentially been charged and also schools are weapons free zones, so that could have been criminally prosecuted as well, I suppose.
baker437
Wed, Apr 17, 2013 : 6:13 p.m.
Can you tell us what law they could have charged him under if they wanted?
Cory C
Wed, Apr 17, 2013 : 5:37 p.m.
I think I'm going to name this generation the E-stop generation. Something extremely minor happens and everyone has to drop everything and stop. We had a kid bring a fake grenade to school once. You know what happened? He was sent home. We made a trebuchet capable of throwing 40+lbs of rocks. Science class. But nowadays, a few rounds of .22 (or whatever the ammo was) is all it takes to shut down a school and be on all the news channels? Especially during exam week? Really people?
Jaime Magiera
Thu, Apr 18, 2013 : 1:54 a.m.
Real ammunition is dangerous in itself. Better safe than sorry.
Mitch
Wed, Apr 17, 2013 : 5:21 p.m.
I wish felons got this nice of a treatment. of the 1,200 felons trying to buy firearms, 44 were tried in court.
John
Wed, Apr 17, 2013 : 5:14 p.m.
Sorry...there is absolutely no reason a student should ever bring ammunition into a school
Jaime Magiera
Thu, Apr 18, 2013 : 1:50 a.m.
zigziggityzoo, until they can verify that there is no more ammunition, and not a weapon to go with it, it makes sense to lock the school down. I would prefer that children and staff be safe and miss a couple hours of class than for there to be a tragedy.
Chris
Wed, Apr 17, 2013 : 8:57 p.m.
But it was Show and Tell day!
beardown
Wed, Apr 17, 2013 : 7:35 p.m.
Just throwing this out there to play devils advocate, but would you honestly believe anything a kid who just brought ammo to school says? He stated he didn't have a gun...and as a parent, that is not enough proof for me.
baker437
Wed, Apr 17, 2013 : 5:47 p.m.
What about if they have a high school trap or rifle team? There are teams all over the US.
zigziggityzoo
Wed, Apr 17, 2013 : 5:16 p.m.
And there's absolutely no reason to lock down a school over ammunition alone.
Steven Taylor
Wed, Apr 17, 2013 : 4:54 p.m.
Let the worrying commence.