Fears have some schools closing, parents keeping kids home Friday
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By Ron Savage Fox 2 News
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (WJBK) -- Fears about gun violence in schools and the world coming to an end on Friday have many school districts taking drastic measures. They're closing early before the holiday break.
There have been rumors, but we're told only one specific threat. Police say a student posted online in Fraser that he would bring a gun to school and was threatening to shoot students. He was taken into custody and is facing a 20 year felony. Other than that, several police sources told me they've investigated, but found nothing substantial. Yet some parents say they'll play it safe and keep their children home on Friday.
The Mayan calendar predicts the world will end. Ancient predictions of the apocalypse are one thing, but social media suggesting violent threats to schoolchildren, that's become much more troublesome.
"I'm not letting my kids go to school tomorrow at all," said Anthony Ventittelli.
He has three daughters. One is a tenth grader and the other two are ninth graders, all in Hazel Park.
There have been Twitter and Facebook rumors of trouble at Hazel Park, but classes have not been canceled.
What did Ventittelli hear that has him uneasy?
"That they were going to shoot up the school because of this world ending thing or something that's going on, and the principal said it was my choice."
Hazel Park Schools told Fox 2 their police liaison investigated Twitter and Facebook rumors, but found nothing substantial.
Now Mayan apocalypse aside, when I spoke with school administrators who decided to cancel classes, they all seem to agree they did not want to cancel classes, but since they feel it has become a "fearful distraction", they believed they were left with no choice.
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