WWJ -- A Macomb County middle school student is facing a four-year felony charge for allegedly phoning in two false bomb threats to local middle schools on a dare last week.
The Macomb County Prosecutor's Office says a female student, whose name and age were not released, called L'Anse Creuse Middle School East from her home in Chesterfield Township around 1:18 p.m. on Sept. 18, reporting that there were multiple bombs around the school. Prosecutors say the student used the Textnow app to disguise her real phone number and attempted to deepen her voice to sound like a man. She called back a little more than a half hour later and screamed into the phone that there were bombs around the building.
In the meantime, the girl also used the Textnow app to call in a threat at Roseville Middle School around 1:37 p.m. to make a similar threat. She called back 11 minutes later and said "you have 30 minutes," then hung up the phone.
Multiple police agencies, including the Michigan State Police, Roseville Police Department and Macomb County Sheriff's Department K-9 units performed exhaustive searches at both middle schools and found no evidence of bombs on either property, prosecutors said.
An investigation involving the Roseville, Chesterfield and Michigan State Police departments, as well as the county sheriff's department and the FBI, led to the identification of the suspect.
The girl told authorities she made the calls as a "copy-cat" of the threats made against the Melvindale-Northern Allen Park School District last week, that left schools in that district closed Monday through Wednesday.
She told police that her friend dared her to make the calls. The friend was on the other line when the calls were made, according to the prosecutor's office.
Authorities said both students were not in school the day the calls were made, due to prior suspensions. The girl who made the calls is facing a four-year felony for making a false bomb threat. It was not clear if the other student is being charged.
"We commend the school staff members, student bodies, and various law enforcement agencies for acting in such a swift, professional manner under these incredibly stressful circumstances," Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith said in a statement. "As I have stressed time and time again, my office will remain vigilant, never underplaying the serious nature of such threats. Our children's lives depend on it."
Authorities did not say when the girl is due to appear in court.
