JAKARTA - A 15-year-old sophomore opened fire at his high school in Michigan, United States on Tuesday, killing three students, including a 16-year-old boy who died in a police patrol car on his way to a hospital, authorities said. local.
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said late Tuesday investigators were still trying to determine a motive for the shooting at Oxford High School in Oxford Township, home to 22,000 residents, about 48 kilometers north of Detroit.
"The people who understand best and their motives don't talk," Bouchard told a news conference, citing the Associated Press Dec. 1.
The suspect's father had purchased the 9mm Sig Sauer pistol used in Friday's shooting, Bouchard said, adding he did not know why the man had bought the gun.
In addition, Bouchard said the suspect had practiced shooting with a gun, then uploaded an image of the target and his weapon.
The three students killed were 16-year-old Tate Myre, Hana St. 14-year-old Juliana, and 17-year-old Madisyn Baldwin. Bouchard said Myre died in a patrol car when a deputy tried to take her to hospital.
Bouchard said authorities were alerted to allegations circulating on social media of threats of shooting at about 1,700 school students, but he said they did not know about the rumors until after the attack. In addition, Bouchard stressed how important it is for such tips to be sent to the authorities, while also warning against spreading social media rumors about the attack before a full investigation.
Meanwhile, Undersheriff Mike McCabe downplayed the significance of the incident in early November when a deer's head was thrown from the school's roof, which he said was "totally unrelated" to the shooting. The vandalism prompted school administrators to post two letters to parents on the school's website in early November, saying they responded to rumors of threats to schools but did not find them.
Authorities did not immediately release the name of the shooting suspect, but Bouchard said deputies arrested him within minutes of arriving at the school, in response to a 911 call about the attack, which occurred shortly before 1 p.m. He said deputies caught him after he came out of the bathroom with a gun, which he said still had seven rounds of ammunition.
"I believe they actually saved lives after taking down the suspect with a loaded firearm while still in the building," Bouchard said.
McCabe said the suspect's parents visited their son where he is being held and advised him not to speak to investigators, as it was his right. Police must seek permission from the suspect's parents or guardians to speak with them, he added.
Separately, Oakland County Attorney Karen McDonald issued a statement late Tuesday saying her office expects to issue charges quickly and that an update will be provided Wednesday.
Bouchard said the suspect had no previous problems with his department and he was not aware of any history of discipline at the school.
"It is part of our investigation to determine what happened prior to this event and if any signs were missed, how it was missed and why," he explained.
Authorities said they were searching for the suspect's cellphone, school video footage and social media posts for evidence of a possible motive. To note, the district said in a statement that all of its schools would be closed for the rest of the week.
United States problemThe incident also drew a response from President Joe Biden, who before addressing a community college in Rosemount, Minnesota, said: "As we learn the full details, my heart goes out to the family who is bearing unimaginable grief at the loss of a loved one."
The latest in a long string of shootings at US schools is likely to spark debate about gun control and mental health care, with many states allowing easy access to firearms while mental health disorders often go untreated.
"This is a uniquely American problem that we need to address," said Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who rushed to the scene and appeared with McCabe to the media.
The school was locked down after the attack, with several children taking cover in locked classrooms while officers searched the premises. They were then taken to a nearby grocery store to be picked up by their parents.
Previously, school administrators had posted two letters to parents on the school's website in November, saying they were responding to rumors of threats to the school following a bizarre incident of vandalism.
According to a November 4 letter written by Principal Steve Wolf, someone threw a deer head into the yard from the school roof, painted several windows on the roof with red acrylic paint and applied the same paint to the concrete near the school building during the early morning hours. Without specifically referring to the incident, a second post on November 12 confirmed "there was no threat to our building or our students."
Both the sheriff and the undersheriff stressed Tuesday's shooting was not linked to a deer head or a previous investigation by their offices.
"It was a different incident, a different student," McCabe said.
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