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Traverse City West Student Charged with Making Threats of Terrorism

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One student from Traverse City West Senior High School is being charged on one count of a threat of terrorism after leaving threatening messages in the school back on Dec. 20.

The threats lead to the school shutting down for the entire day, while Grand Traverse County deputies began their investigation.

Deputies say the 16-year-old male student left threatening notes on a bathroom wall—claiming he was going to “shoot up the school” and “blow it up.”

After a spike of threats in schools following the Oxford High School shooting last Nov., deputies are taking the threats very seriously.

They say if the student was charged as an adult, the charges could be much more severe.

“The only difference is if they’re an adult, we can make an arrest,” said Grand Traverse County Lt. Chris Oosse. “The student is a juvenile, but at this point, that will be turned over to the family courts and the prosecutor’s office.”

They  say parents need to pay attention to their kids, and look for those warning signs of potential violence.

“I think parents need to be very vigilant on what their children are doing and thinking, and be in communication with them—it’s okay to look at their phone or look at their computer and see what is going on,” said Lt. Oosse. “I wouldn’t call that just a random excuse of ‘oh their brain isn’t developed yet’—most people have a conscience and know what’s right and wrong.”

Deputies added that the school systems take these threats just as seriously as law enforcement does.

“Our schools have enacted a lot of very good security policies and strategies, they have great security personnel, camera systems, and they all take it seriously,” said Lt. Oosse.

Traverse City Area Public Schools have refused to comment on the case at this time.

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