Three students were killed and eight other people wounded when a 15-year-old boy allegedly opened fire Tuesday at Oxford High School.
Killed were Tate Myre, age 16; Hana St. Julian, 14; and Madisyn Baldwin, 17.
Myre’s gunshot wound was so severe that a deputy put him in a patrol car to transport him to hospital because the deputy didn’t think the teenager could wait for an ambulance.. Myre died in the car.
Those injured include:
• 14-year-old female in critical condition with gunshot wounds to the chest and neck; transferred to Hurley Medical Center in Flint and is on ventilator after surgery.• 15-year-old male in critical condition at McLaren Hospital in Pontiac with a gunshot wound to the head• 17-year-old female in critical condition at St. Joseph Mercy in Pontiac with a gunshot wound to chest.• 14-year-old male in serious condition at McLaren Pontiac with jaw and hand gunshot wounds.• 17-year-old female in stable condition at McLaren Pontiac with a gunshot wound to the neck.• 15-year-old male in stable condition at McLaren Pontiac with a gunshot wound to the left leg.• 17-year-old male in stable condition at Ascension Hospital in Rochester Hills with a gunshot wound to the hip.• 47-year-old teacher discharged from McLaren Hospital in Lapeer with a left shoulder gunshot wound.
The alleged shooter, an Oxford High School sophomore and resident of Oxford, is under suicide watch at Oakland County Children’s Village. The county prosecutor will determine if he’s charged as an adult or a minor.
A 9mm Sig Sauer handgun and two ammunition clips were recovered at the scene, the sheriff’s office said. The firearm and three 15-shot ammunition clips were purchased on Friday, Nov. 26, by his father, according to the sheriff’s office.
Oakland County Undersheriff Mike McCabe said the shooting lasted five minutes and happened in the south end of the school. It wasn’t clear if it occurred in a classroom or classrooms, or a hallway, he said.
Police and fire personnel from several agencies, EMS units, SWAT and the sheriff’s aviation unit responded to the scene, which unfolded at around 12:50 p.m. More than 100 people called 9-1-1 to report the shooting.
Isabel Flores told WJBK-TV that she and other students heard gunshots and saw another student bleeding from the face.
They then ran from the area through the rear of the school, said Flores, a 15-year-old ninth grader.
The teen suspect surrendered to sheriff’s deputies after firing 15 to 20 rounds. Authorities don’t suspect any other shooters were involved.
“Deputies confronted him, he had the weapon on him, they took him into custody,” McCabe said, adding that the suspect wasn’t hurt when he was taken into custody and that he refused to say how he got the gun into the school.
The school does not have metal detectors at its entrances.
The school was placed on lockdown after the attack, with children sheltering in locked classrooms while officers searched the premises.
Students were evacuated to the Meijer store in Oxford, just north of the downtown, which was closed to shoppers so the students could be picked up by parents or other relatives. Parents were advised to not go to the school.
After he was taken into custody, the suspect met with his parents at the sheriff’s substation but they wouldn’t let him speak with authorities, McCabe said.
“They didn’t want their son to talk to us and they’ve hired an attorney,” he said.
McCabe said he wasn’t aware of any prior run-ins the suspect had with law enforcement or if he had any disciplinary history at school.
He also said he was aware of information circulating on social media that there had been threats of a shooting at the roughly 1,700-student school prior to Tuesday’s attack, but he cautioned against believing that narrative until investigators can look into it.
Investigators have not yet established a motive, McCabe said.
“Ultimately, we will get to the bottom of this,” McCabe said, adding that a search warrant is being executed at the boy’s house.
Detectives will be interviewing students, reviewing the video from security cameras around the school and combing through social media as they investigate what led up to the incident, he said.
“Anyone with information about the incident, if they know anything at all about this young man or what was going to happen or what happened today, they can call us at 248-858-4911,” McCabe said.
Tim Throne, the superintendent of Oxford Community Schools, told reporters Tuesday afternoon that he was shocked by the incident. “It’s devastating,” he said.
‘Terrifying display of violence’Gov. Gretchen Whitmer late Tuesday afternoon ordered U.S. and Michigan flags upon all public buildings and grounds across Michigan to be lowered to half-staff immediately until further notice to honor and remember the victims of the shooting. She also released a statement in response to the shooting.
“My heart breaks for the students, teachers, staff, and families of Oxford High School. The death of multiple students and the shooting of many others, including a teacher, is horrific. I want to thank the first responders on the ground working hard to keep people safe as law enforcement officials investigate this shooting and get the community the help it needs right now.
“As Michiganders, we have a responsibility to do everything we can to protect each other from gun violence. No one should be afraid to go to school, work, a house of worship, or even their own home. Gun violence is a public health crisis that claims lives every day. We have the tools to reduce gun violence in Michigan. This is a time for us to come together and help our children feel safe at school.
“My heart is with the parents who had their children taken from them today and with the entire community in Oxford.”
Whitmer attended the 5 p.m. press conference in Oxford. Clearly choked up, she called the situation every parent’s worst nightmare.
St. Joseph Catholic Church in Lake Orion was scheduled to hold a Mass early Tuesday evening in response to the shooting earlier in the day
Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter also released a statement:
“I’m horrified by this tragic shooting at Oxford High School today. The entire Oakland County community is in shock by this terrifying display of violence and our thoughts are with Oxford families tonight. I’m grateful for the quick response from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department and all the first responders. The county’s Emergency Operations Center has been activated to offer any support and assistance needed by first responders and the families in Oxford today and in the days ahead.”
Oxford High School, which has an enrollment of 1,800, is located at 745 N. Oxford Road, in the northern portion of Oakland County.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.