ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – Escanaba Area Public Schools says there is no threat to its campuses following a large police presence on Thursday.
Around 11:30 a.m., community members noticed a large police presence outside Escanaba Jr/Sr High School. A WZMQ 19 reporter on the scene saw officers from Michigan State Police, the Delta County Sheriff’s Department, and Escanaba Public Safety in front of the main entrance of the school, some with weapons in hand. The school was in lockdown at that time, and several parents were standing across the street waiting for word from the police.
Some individuals on social media stated that the lockdown was initiated by a text sent from a student in another school district to an Escanaba student. However, that claim has not been verified by law enforcement or the school.
At 12:40 p.m., the school district made a Facebook post saying that police had completed their investigation and “determined that there is no threat.”
“We realize events like these are stressful, and we appreciate your patience as we follow procedures to ensure the safety of our students and staff,” the Facebook post reads. “Trained school staff are available for any students who need additional assistance. More detailed information will be provided by the end of the school day today.”
While the district said schools would be resuming normal operations, law enforcement later recommended the schools remain in “secure mode” until 1:30 p.m. The district said that normal operations would resume after 1:30 p.m. unless the situation changed. As of 2:20 p.m., there has not been another update posted by Escanaba Area Public Schools.
WZMQ 19 is working to obtain more information from law enforcement and will update this story as we learn more.
