Latest news with #Hardiman
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
2 young men charged for bringing fully loaded weapons to Pontiac high school graduation
Police charged two young men accused of bringing an AR-style pistol and a Glock semi-automatic handgun — both unregistered and fully loaded with 40-round magazines — to a high school graduation in Pontiac, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald's office announced on June 9. Jamarion Hardiman, 20, and Deahveon Whaley, 19, are each charged with carrying a firearm with unlawful intent, possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and carrying a concealed weapon, McDonald's office said in a news release. More: Authorities find loaded weapons at Pontiac high school's graduation Neither suspect was a graduating student but had ongoing disputes with others in the community, authorities have said. The pair went to the graduation together on June 3 at the United Wholesale Mortgage campus, where they allegedly got into a brawl with others but did not fire any rounds. Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard previously said it's likely deputies "prevented a mass shooting." "Just those two weapons without changing magazines had 80 rounds of potential firepower shooting into a graduation," Bouchard said. "You can only imagine the outcome of that." Police were initially called in on reports of the brawl. Surveillance video shows Hardiman assaulting someone inside the sports complex, and then, sometime after, Hardiman, Whaley, and others involved in the fight leaving the building, according to McDonald's office. The brawl continued in the parking lot, where Hardiman was struck by a car, "apparently without injury," the news release details. Hardiman and Whaley then went to their car to get the guns — for Whaley, a firearm to carry in his waistband, and for Hardiman, a "distinctive backpack" that held the AR-style pistol, prosecutors allege in the news release. Authorities say the pair abandoned the weapons under parked vehicles. When they exited the car, the pair is seen in surveillance footage crouching behind and between cars in the parking lot, McDonald's office said. Deputies were informed at the time of a possible shooting threat made on Snapchat. McDonald's office said on June 9 that those threats have not been verified. Andrea Sahouri covers criminal justice for the Detroit Free Press. Contact her at asahouri@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 2 charged after loaded weapons found at Pontiac high school graduation
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
2 face charges after guns found near Pontiac graduation ceremony
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Two Pontiac men face weapons charges after the Oakland County Sheriff's Office said they intended to 'shoot up' a high school graduation on the southeast side of the state last week. Jamarion Hardiman, 20, and Deahveon Whaley, 19, are each accused of carrying a firearm with unlawful intent, possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony and carrying a concealed weapon, according to the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office. 2 planned to 'shoot up' graduation in Pontiac, sheriff says The graduation for a Pontiac charter school was held June 3 at the UWM Sports Complex. The prosecutor's office says surveillance video shows Hardiman and Whaley — neither of whom attended the charter school, authorities previously said — go in to the building together. Hardiman then attacked an 'unidentified individual,' prosecutors said. Security broke up the fight and got them to go outside, but the fight resumed in the parking lot. Surveillance video shows Hardiman was then hit by a car, though he seemed uninjured. Prosecutors say he and Whaley went back to their car, where Whaley put a gun in his waistband and Hardiman grabbed a backpack. Surveillance video later showed them crouching near cars in the parking lot, where investigators say they ditched the gun and backpack — which authorities say contained a second gun. '(The guns were) fully loaded with high-capacity magazines. Each weapon had a 40-round magazine,' Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said at a news conference Friday. 'I believe (deputies and security) probably prevented a mass shooting.' Whaley was arrested Wednesday. Hardiman was arrested within hours of the news conference, at which Bouchard asked the public for help finding him. The sheriff's office said a witness reported having seen a Snapchat post threatening to 'shoot up' the graduation. But the prosecutor's office said deputies have so far not been able to track that post down or get the name of the witness who reported seeing it. If that changes, the prosecutor's office said, more charges may be filed. Bouchard said both suspects have histories of violence and Hardiman was already on probation for a weapons offense. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
4 days ago
Possible mass shooting at graduation thwarted; guns recovered, 1 suspect at large: Sheriff
A possible mass shooting plot at a Michigan graduation ceremony was thwarted, authorities said, and police are searching for one of the suspects who remains at large. The apparent plot was revealed after authorities responded to a fight that broke out during the Arts and Technology Academy of Pontiac graduation, which was held Tuesday at a business in Pontiac, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. "A person approached our deputies and gave them information that a family member had told them that they had seen on Snapchat a threat to shoot up this graduation ceremony," Bouchard said at a news conference Friday. Authorities kept investigating and recovered two loaded guns with high-capacity magazines from under cars in the parking lot, the sheriff said. Law enforcement "probably prevented a mass shooting," the sheriff said. One suspect, 19-year-old Deahveon Shamar-James Whaley, has been arrested, Bouchard said. Authorities are searching for a second suspect, 20-year-old Jamarion Jaryante Hardiman, the sheriff said. Hardiman and Whaley were not students at the K-12 charter school but were connected via "friends and relatives," the sheriff said, and they appeared to have "ongoing disputes with individuals in the community." Hardiman and Whaley "have a history of being involved with weapons and violence," he added. Bouchard said he's alarmed "how close it was, potentially, to being another mass shooting." Oakland County is home to Oxford High School, where teenager Ethan Crumbley carried out a mass shooting in 2021. The sheriff urged the public to share information about threats of violence. "If you see something, say something," he said. In this thwarted attack, "Someone saw that [Snapchat] post," Bouchard said, but deputies "didn't hear about it until after we had arrived on the scene" to respond to the fight. Anyone who sees Hardiman should call 911, the sheriff said.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Potential graduation mass shooting thwarted
A possible mass shooting plot at a Michigan graduation ceremony was thwarted, authorities said, and police are searching for one of the suspects who remains at large. The apparent plot was revealed after authorities responded to a fight that broke out during the Arts and Technology Academy of Pontiac graduation, which was held Tuesday at a business in Pontiac, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. "A person approached our deputies and gave them information that a family member had told them that they had seen on Snapchat a threat to shoot up this graduation ceremony," Bouchard said at a news conference Friday. MORE: Father who killed 3 daughters was 'active dad' but the 'system failed' him, ex-wife's attorney says Authorities kept investigating and recovered two loaded guns with high-capacity magazines from under cars in the parking lot, the sheriff said. Law enforcement "probably prevented a mass shooting," the sheriff said. One suspect, 19-year-old Deahveon Shamar-James Whaley, has been arrested, Bouchard said. Authorities are searching for a second suspect, 20-year-old Jamarion Jaryante Hardiman, the sheriff said. Hardiman and Whaley were not students at the K-12 charter school but were connected via "friends and relatives," the sheriff said, and they appeared to have "ongoing disputes with individuals in the community." Hardiman and Whaley "have a history of being involved with weapons and violence," he added. Bouchard said he's alarmed "how close it was, potentially, to being another mass shooting." MORE: Suspect in Boulder attack charged with 118 counts, including attempted murder, assault charges Oakland County is home to Oxford High School, where teenager Ethan Crumbley carried out a mass shooting in 2021. The sheriff urged the public to share information about threats of violence. "If you see something, say something," he said. In this thwarted attack, "Someone saw that [Snapchat] post," Bouchard said, but deputies "didn't hear about it until after we had arrived on the scene" to respond to the fight. Anyone who sees Hardiman should call 911, the sheriff said.
NBC News
4 days ago
- NBC News
'Mass shooting' thwarted at Michigan high school graduation; one suspect arrested, another at large, officials say
What began as a fist fight at a high school graduation in Michigan on Tuesday has turned into a search for a 20-year-old suspect in what officials are calling a prevented mass shooting attempt. Oakland County authorities are searching for 20-year-old Jamarion Jaryante Hardiman — who is currently on probation for a weapons offense — in connection with the attempt at the Arts and Technology Academy of Pontiac (ATAP) graduation, Sheriff Michael Bouchard announced in a press conference on Friday. Another 19-year-old suspect is in custody, whose identity is not being released until charges are filed. Bouchard said the 19-year-old suspect also has a criminal history involving weapons. Oakland County Sheriff deputies were initially dispatched at 6:40 p.m. to the graduation held at the United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) property for a fight. A person approached deputies at the scene and informed them a family member had seen a threat posted on Snapchat to shoot up the ceremony, Bouchard said. Authorities are not sure of the post's specific wording, as it has been taken down, but witnesses said it was along the lines of "was going to shoot up the crowd," Bouchard said. The two suspects, both Pontiac residents, were identified as individuals who were part of the fight and had been seen putting packages under cars in the parking lot when authorities arrived, according to Bouchard. Working with the UWM security team and their camera system, officials recovered two fully-loaded weapons at the scene. Each weapon also had a 40-round magazine. "So just those two weapons without changing magazines, had 80 rounds of potential firepower," Bouchard said. "Shooting into a graduation, you can only imagine the outcome of that." One of the suspects, who Bouchard did not specify, was carrying a pink, AR-style pistol with the loaded magazine in a backpack that was stashed under a vehicle when officers arrived. The other weapon recovered was a Glock semi-automatic handgun with a 40-round stick magazine. It is unknown if the suspects once attended the charter school, but Bouchard said they did have friends and relatives at the graduation and "ongoing disputes with individuals in the community." The sheriff said the motive behind the attempted shooting is unclear. The other parties involved in the disputes are not cooperating with authorities, according to Bouchard. "While a brief physical altercation did take place inside the venue, it was quickly handled by staff and security, and those involved were promptly removed," the school wrote in a social media post. "Thankfully, no one within the ceremony was harmed, and we were able to continue and complete our beautiful commencement celebration without further disruption." The 19-year-old suspect fled the scene, but was found after the graduation. Bouchard said he is 'confident' Hardiman will be located. Authorities are asking anyone with information regarding Hardiman's whereabouts to call 911. Bouchard advised community members not to try to apprehend or approach the suspect. When asked by reporters if Bouchard had anything to say to Hardiman, he replied: 'Turn yourself in. One way or another we're going to get you. Make it easier on yourself and the community.'
