A written bomb threat discovered at Oxford Middle School Tuesday afternoon is being investigated by the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department.
‘Basically, there was a message scrawled on a (boys) bathroom wall,? said OMS Principal Ken Weaver. ‘It was written on the wall in marker.?
Weaver could not release the exact wording of the message or who discovered it, but he did confirm it was a bomb threat.
‘At this point, I can’t answer too many questions because I don’t know how much the police are going to want me to release on that,? he said.
It was erroneously reported in the Oxford Eccentric that the bomb threat read: “Bomb. 4-18.”
Both Weaver and Oakland County Lt. Larry Perry confirmed that was not the message. However, they did note the April 18 date was part of the written threat.
The principal indicated the person or persons responsible for the threat had not yet been determined.
Since the threat was discovered late in the day, towards the end of school, students were dismissed at the normal time, however, all after-school activities were cancelled.
The sheriff’s department ‘swept the building? with bomb-sniffing dogs ‘as a precaution? and found no explosive devices, according to Weaver.
Weaver said the board of education was informed about the threat Tuesday night and ‘they felt it was safe to continue with school today.?
However, as a further precaution, all students? ‘backpacks, purses and so forth? were checked Wednesday morning, according to the principal.
Again, nothing was found.
For added security, sheriff’s deputies were patrolling the school’s parking lots Wednesday.
The school underwent a second sweep by the sheriff’s K-9 Unit Wednesday as part of previously scheduled assembly aimed at preventing drugs and violence from impeding the educational process.
In conjunction with the assembly, specially-trained canines searched the school’s lockers for alcohol, drugs and firearms.
Parents were informed about the assembly and locker search ahead of time in an April 16 letter sent home with students.
‘Any future searches by canines for alcohol, drugs and firearms will be unannounced,? the letter stated.