6 days ago
Suspects in foiled mass shooting attempt at Michigan high school graduation in court today
The Brief
Two men are facing weapons charges related to an alleged mass shooting attempt at a high school graduation.
Neither man was a student at the school; no motive has been made public.
Police were first called to the scene when a fight broke out, and uncovered the alleged shooting plot while investigating.
PONTIAC, Mich. (FOX 2) - Two men accused of plotting a mass shooting at a high school graduation in Pontiac in the spring are due in court for a preliminary examination Monday afternoon.
Jamarion Hardiman, 20, and Deahveon Whaley, 19, are set to appear at 1:30 p.m. Monday.
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The men are each facing charges of carrying a firearm with unlawful intent, possession of a firearm in commission of a felony, and carrying a concealed weapon.
They allegedly were planning to shoot up the June 3 graduation for the Arts and Technology Academy, which was held on the United Wholesale Mortgage sports campus in Pontiac, but were foiled by Oakland County Sheriff's deputies.
Neither suspect was enrolled at the school at the time of the planned attack.
What we know
Police were called to the ceremony after a fight involving the two defendants broke out, and from there, they managed to uncover and stop the planned shooting.
While investigating the fight, deputies were told about a Snapchat thread, which included threats to shoot up the graduation.
Deputies got assistance from UWM security and were shown video of Hardiman and Whaley.
Hardiman assaulted an unidentified individual after he and Whaley entered together. After UWM security intervened, Hardiman, Whaley, and other individuals involved in the fight left the building, and the fight continued in the parking lot. The defendants were apparently unarmed at that time.
As seen in the video, Hardiman was then struck by a vehicle before both he and Whaley went to their vehicle and retrieved firearms.
The Oakland County Prosecutor's Office said the suspects were seen on video crouching behind vehicles in the parking lot before leaving the loaded guns under parked vehicles. These firearms, an AR-style pistol with a round drum that included 40 rounds of ammunition and a Glock pistol with a 40-round magazine, were later retrieved by deputies.
What we don't know
It is unclear if the Snapchat threat was actually made by Hardiman or Whaley, so the men are currently only facing weapons charges.
"Law enforcement has not been able to verify the existence of the Snapchat. Therefore, we are moving forward with the charges presented by investigators," said Prosecutor Karen McDonald. "This graduation event was disrupted by a fight that required a police response and, rather than walking away, it appears these defendants retrieved a gun. That's unacceptable, and we will hold them accountable."
Authorities also did not have a motive for the alleged crime.
