Jackson, Mich. — Citing an abundance of caution following the discovery of a piece of graffiti in the boys’ bathroom at Northwest High School, all Northwest Community School buildings will be closed Tuesday, February 21, according to a message on the schools’ website. The full message can also be read below.
The graffiti, which read “I’m going to shoot everyone on the 21st,” was reported on Tuesday, February 14.
The school says they have followed up on the threat and have found no weapons or concerning items, but is closing school in light of the recent events at MSU. According to Northwest’s website, school activities for Tuesday, February 21 will still occur, and school and other activities will resume as normal Wednesday, February 22 with increased police presence through the rest of the week.
Greetings Mountie Nation,
On Tuesday, February 14, 2023, after dismissal, NWHS Administration was informed of concerning graffiti located in the boys bathroom communicating a school threat that stated, “Im going to shoot everyone on the 21st”. Administrators were able to review surveillance and interview and search students who were in the bathroom prior to being notified of the threatening graffiti. Administration also followed up on tips from community members. No weapons or other concerning items were found as a result of the searches. NWHS Administration, working with Blackman Public Safety and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department investigated the situation. After an extensive investigation, the individual responsible for the message has not been identified.
Due to the reference of ‘the 21st’ and the recent tragic events at MSU last week, we have made the decision to cancel school for all NWCS buildings tomorrow, February 21, 2023, in an abundance of caution. We want to make sure that students, staff, and families feel safe coming to school and we work diligently to ensure student safety through policies, procedures, and working closely with local law enforcement on all concerning situations. Please know, the monitoring of our bathrooms has increased since this incident and additional steps will be taken moving forward.
The safety of our students and staff is of utmost importance. Behavior that threatens our safety and well-being will not be tolerated. Individuals responsible for such behavior will be held accountable to the greatest extent possible. If you or your child sees something out of the ordinary or concerning, report it as soon as possible. Suspicious activity can be reported anonymously to our tip line on the NWCS app or the NW website. Suspicious activity can also be reported anonymously to Michigan’s OK2Say.
After school activities will continue as normal with police presence on Tuesday, February 21, 2023. School will resume for all buildings on Wednesday, February 22, 2023, with increased police presence through the end of this week.
We appreciate all the help from our staff, students, and community to make our schools a safe place to learn. Please remember, we all play a role in sustaining a safe learning environment for our kids and believe that safety is a team effort.
