{"id":499,"date":"2018-03-07T09:11:05","date_gmt":"2018-03-07T14:11:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/?p=499"},"modified":"2018-03-08T09:25:14","modified_gmt":"2018-03-08T14:25:14","slug":"sterling-heights-teen-charged-with-threatening-school-amid-uptick-in-threats-nationwide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/?p=499","title":{"rendered":"Sterling Heights teen charged with threatening school amid uptick in threats nationwide"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ann Zaniewski and\u00a0<\/a>Christal Hayes<\/a>, Detroit Free Press<\/span>Published 7:01 p.m. ET March 7, 2018 |\u00a0Updated 8:14 p.m. ET March 7, 2018<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

A 17-year-old Sterling Heights teen has been charged with threatening a high school, the latest in a string of similar incidents since a deadly school shooting last month in Parkland, Fla.<\/p>\n

Ethan McElrath faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of making threats of domestic terrorism.<\/p>\n

Authorities were tipped off Tuesday after a student at\u00a0Mohegan High School in Clinton Township reported seeing a social media posting with threats of an attack at Henry Ford II High School in Sterling Heights, according to Sterling Heights police.<\/p>\n

The attack would be similar to what happened in Florida and was going to occur Thursday, according to the threat.<\/p>\n

McElrath is not a current or former student of Henry Ford II, police said.<\/p>\n

School districts across metro Detroit\u00a0\u2014 and the entire country\u00a0\u2014\u00a0 have seen a spike in threats following the\u00a0Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.<\/p>\n

More than 130 threats were reported and analyzed by the USA TODAY NETWORK in the nine-day span after the shooting in Parkland left 17 dead. Also, non-profits such as the Educator’s School Safety Network have compiled a list of the threats using news media reports. The group found that a jarring 638 threats targeted schools in the two weeks after the Parkland shootings, a number they say is probably on the low side.<\/p>\n

Following the Florida rampage, panic swept schools from Maine to California, leading to lockdowns, school closures and deployment of bomb-sniffing dogs.<\/p>\n

The dramatic rise in threats \u2014 from 10 to about 70 a day \u2014 has left school administrators and authorities walking a fine line in dealing with a threat’s credibility. It’s also worried parents who fear sending their children to school and shined a spotlight on the legal debate over what penalties kids should face.<\/p>\n

\u00a0At the root of the problem, experts say, are students who are too young to realize the severity of their comments.<\/div>\n

“There are usually two common traits in these individuals,” said Mary Ellen O’Toole, a former FBI profiler. “They’re young, and their judgment is poor. I mean, a brain isn’t really fully formed until your early 20s. Then, it’s also people who want to be disruptive and affect how the school is operating.”<\/p>\n

Texas, with 55 reports, was the state with the most threats since the shooting. Next in line are Ohio, California, Florida and Pennsylvania, according to data from the Educator’s School Safety Network, which not only tracks such incidents but also trains schools on how to handle them.<\/p>\n

Because of the threats, at least 33 schools closed and more than 15 others locked down, according to a review of the incidents reported across the USA TODAY Network, which encompasses more than 100 news organizations nationwide.<\/p>\n

Some threats were real and law enforcement was able to thwart the plot before it came to fruition, but the larger number of the scares weren’t credible, meaning the person suspected of making the comments wasn’t planning to harm others and didn’t have access to weapons.<\/p>\n

Recent threats have disrupted several schools\u00a0in metro Detroit. In Washtenaw County, the sheriff’s office has responded to nine threats against school districts over the last three weeks.<\/p>\n

Earlier this week,\u00a0an 18-year-old senior at Utica High School was arrested and charged<\/a>with making a video that threatened his school and sharing it on social media.<\/p>\n

Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith has pledged to prosecute students who make threats.<\/p>\n

“If you haven’t done so already, I urge every parent, teacher and administrator to take time out of their day to discuss the rash of arrests that have occurred since the senseless tragedy in Parkland, Fla,” he said. “Don’t wait \u2014\u00a0have the discussion now.”<\/p>\n

At his arraignment, McElrath was given a $20,000 bond, with the option to post 10%, according to police. He was also ordered to wear a tether.<\/p>\n

Contact staff writer Ann Zaniewski at 313-222-6594 or azaniewski@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter: @AnnZaniewski.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ann Zaniewski and\u00a0Christal Hayes, Detroit Free PressPublished 7:01 p.m. ET March 7, 2018 |\u00a0Updated 8:14 p.m. ET March 7, 2018 A 17-year-old Sterling Heights teen…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":500,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[17,19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-499","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-domestic-terrorism","category-weapons"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gopplaybook.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/2018-03-08_09-13-51.jpg?fit=533%2C680&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8VBh7-83","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":742,"url":"https:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/?p=742","url_meta":{"origin":499,"position":0},"title":"Were the Austin Bombings Acts of Terrorism? Why Law Enforcement Says No","author":"Donnie","date":"March 22, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"By\u00a0KATIE BENNER\u00a0and\u00a0SERGE F. KOVALESKIMARCH 22, 2018 Mark Conditt\u2019s home in Pflugerville, Tex. The authorities have refrained from calling him a terrorist, but for many residents it\u2019s a matter of semantics.\u00a0CreditTamir Kalifa for The New York Times He used explosive devices to kill others and, eventually, himself. In a 25-minute recording,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Domestic Terrorism"","block_context":{"text":"Domestic Terrorism","link":"https:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/?cat=17"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gopplaybook.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/2018-03-23_21-21-38.jpg?fit=673%2C452&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gopplaybook.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/2018-03-23_21-21-38.jpg?fit=673%2C452&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gopplaybook.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/2018-03-23_21-21-38.jpg?fit=673%2C452&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":267,"url":"https:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/?p=267","url_meta":{"origin":499,"position":1},"title":"Was the Charlottesville car attack domestic terrorism, a hate crime or both?","author":"Donnie","date":"August 14, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"By\u00a0Mark Berman\u00a0August 14, 2017 Attorney General Jeff Sessions said on Aug. 14 people are \"making too much\" out of President Trump's response to the violence that broke out in Charlottesville.\u00a0(Reuters) \u00a0Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Monday that the fatal car attack in Charlottesville\u00a0meets the definition of domestic terrorism, echoing calls\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Domestic Terrorism"","block_context":{"text":"Domestic Terrorism","link":"https:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/?cat=17"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gopplaybook.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/2018-03-01_10-04-32.jpg?fit=670%2C419&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gopplaybook.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/2018-03-01_10-04-32.jpg?fit=670%2C419&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gopplaybook.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/2018-03-01_10-04-32.jpg?fit=670%2C419&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":699,"url":"https:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/?p=699","url_meta":{"origin":499,"position":2},"title":"A look at the data on domestic terrorism and who\u2019s behind it","author":"Donnie","date":"August 16, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"By Miriam Valverde on Wednesday, August 16th, 2017 These numbers do not factor 2017-2018 deaths in America, most notably the Las Vegas shootings, where 59 people were killed. The statistics provided are from 2001 - 2016. \\ President Donald Trump calls out the KKK, neo-Nazis and other hate groups in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Domestic Terrorism"","block_context":{"text":"Domestic Terrorism","link":"https:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/?cat=17"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":747,"url":"https:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/?p=747","url_meta":{"origin":499,"position":3},"title":"Manhattan Attack Is Called Terrorism. What About Vegas?","author":"Donnie","date":"November 1, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The Interpreter By\u00a0MAX FISHER and\u00a0AMANDA TAUB\u00a0NOV. 1, 2017 The bike path along the Hudson River in Lower Manhattan where a driver killed eight people with a pickup truck on Oct. 31.\u00a0CreditTodd Heisler\/The New York Times Hours after a truck\u00a0plowed along\u00a0a Manhattan bike path on Tuesday, Americans returned to a debate\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Domestic Terrorism"","block_context":{"text":"Domestic Terrorism","link":"https:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/?cat=17"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gopplaybook.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/2018-03-23_21-26-03.jpg?fit=675%2C448&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gopplaybook.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/2018-03-23_21-26-03.jpg?fit=675%2C448&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gopplaybook.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/2018-03-23_21-26-03.jpg?fit=675%2C448&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":701,"url":"https:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/?p=701","url_meta":{"origin":499,"position":4},"title":"HOW THE USA PATRIOT ACT REDEFINES “DOMESTIC TERRORISM”","author":"Donnie","date":"March 21, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0Section 802 of the USA PATRIOT Act (Pub. L. No. 107-52) expanded the definition of terrorism to cover \"\"domestic,\"\" as opposed to international, terrorism.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A person engages in domestic terrorism if they do an act \"dangerous to human life\" that is a violation of the criminal laws of a state or\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Domestic Terrorism"","block_context":{"text":"Domestic Terrorism","link":"https:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/?cat=17"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":800,"url":"https:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/?p=800","url_meta":{"origin":499,"position":5},"title":"Girl Shot at Maryland School Dies After Being Taken Off Life Support","author":"Donnie","date":"March 23, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"By\u00a0MATTHEW HAAG\u00a0and\u00a0JACEY FORTIN\u00a0\u00a0MARCH 23, 2018 \u00a0Photo Jaelynn Willey, shot in the head by another student at Great Mills High School on Tuesday, died on Thursday after she was removed from life support.\u00a0CreditWilley family, via Associated Press A 16-year-old girl critically injured in a\u00a0shooting at a Maryland high schoolthis week died\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Domestic Terrorism"","block_context":{"text":"Domestic Terrorism","link":"https:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/?cat=17"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gopplaybook.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/2018-03-25_20-31-23.jpg?fit=764%2C515&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gopplaybook.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/2018-03-25_20-31-23.jpg?fit=764%2C515&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gopplaybook.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/2018-03-25_20-31-23.jpg?fit=764%2C515&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gopplaybook.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/2018-03-25_20-31-23.jpg?fit=764%2C515&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/499","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=499"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/499\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":501,"href":"https:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/499\/revisions\/501"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/500"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=499"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=499"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=499"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}