Students, staff ‘are safe,’ school district says

By Jim Newell
Managing Editor
OXFORD TWP. – Oxford High School went into “secure protocol” shortly after 7 a.m. on Monday morning after receiving an email about a bomb threat against the school.
The message said an unidentified person had a bomb in a vehicle in the parking lot and was going to detonate the bomb, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office stated in a news release on the incident.
School officials notified the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office after receiving the threat. The sheriff’s office “dispatched a significant number of personnel to ensure the safety of students, teachers, and staff of the school. The canine unit, with dogs specially trained in explosive detection, was sent to the scene. No one was permitted to enter or leave the school before deputies verified the scene was safe,” the sheriff’s office stated.
Sheriff’s deputies and detectives determined the bomb threat was not credible. The Sheriff’s Office computer crimes unit investigated the source of the email and evidence points to a suspect in Malaysia.
The Oxford Community Schools district sent out a message to parents on Monday morning informing them of the incident, saying the high school “went into a secure protocol due to a threat that has been made outside the building.”
Students and staff were safe, the district said in the statement, and were instructed to stay inside the building until further notice.
“The focus of the threat is outside of the building in the parking lot,” the school district stated.
The sheriff’s office responded to Oxford High School to investigate and informed the district that no one would be allowed to enter or leave the school or parking lot until further notice. Parents were asked to cooperate with the investigation and avoid the area while traffic is restricted.
“As a reminder, we have numerous safety layers in place, such as weapons detection systems that operate 24/7, an armed security force, a weapons detection dog, and visitor management system to safeguard the school,” the school district stated.
Oxford schools released a follow up statement Monday morning saying, “The police investigation has cleared the Oxford High School parking lots and cars. The investigation is still in progress and out of an abundance of caution, we will be dismissing Oxford High School at 11 a.m.”
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said if the sheriff’s office can find the suspect they will seek to prosecute the offender.
“I have zero tolerance for anyone that makes threats against a school, a house of worship, a business, or for that matter threatens anyone,” Bouchard said. “If we can determine who that person is, regardless of where they are in the world, we will prosecute if at all possible. In the past, we successfully identified an individual responsible for a threat emanating from England. Working with our national and international partners, actions were brought against them there. Unfortunately, some countries do not have treaties with America. I will never accept the traumatization of our community.”
The school district provided mental health at the Oxford Virtual Academy District Learning Center on Monday afternoon for students or parents who needed support.
The district also advised that students could contact the All For Oxford Resiliency Center, 1370 Lapeer Rd., for additional support.

The full message sent out by Oxford Community Schools:
At 10 a.m. Monday, Feb. 26, 2024, Oxford High School went into a secure protocol due to a threat that has been made from outside of the building. Students and employees are safe and have been asked to stay inside until further notice. Oakland County Sheriff’s Office has informed us no one will be able to enter or exit Oxford High School or the parking lot at this time. We are working with the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office as they investigate this matter.
The focus of the threat is outside of the building in the parking lot. Police are on site, and they are investigating cars in Oxford High School’s parking lots. Additional information will be communicated to you as soon as it becomes available. Please help us cooperate with the investigation. You are asked to avoid this area until further notice. Traffic in and out of the area is restricted.
As a reminder, we have numerous safety layers in place, such as weapons detection systems that operate 24/7, an armed security force, a weapons detection dog, and visitor management system to safeguard the school.
Safety is a top priority. We appreciate the quick reporting and continue to encourage our school community to report school safety concerns in a timely manner to law enforcement and school administration.
– Oxford Community Schools

Follow up letter from Oxford Community Schools:
Dear Oxford Schools Community,
The police investigation has cleared the Oxford High School parking lots and cars. The investigation is still in progress and out of an abundance of caution, we will be dismissing Oxford High School at 11:00 a.m. Monday, February 26, 2024.
As the police continue their investigation, additional information will be communicated to you as soon as possible.
The 8th grade Parent Night at this time will be postponed. We will communicate appropriately for all other after school activities.
We understand this could be activating for some and we have arranged for mental health staff to be available. If you or your student needs support, Oxford mental health staff will be available to meet with students at the Oxford Virtual Academy District Learning Center (168 S. Washington St.) from 12:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. In addition, there will also be support at the All For Oxford Resiliency Center.
– Oxford Community Schools