PONTIAC (WWJ) -- The Oakland County Sheriff's Office says a "mass tragedy" has been averted, and two suspects are now in custody in connection with an alleged planned mass shooting at a Pontiac high school graduation.
Sheriff Michael Bouchard said the evening of Tuesday, June 3, deputies disrupted an alleged plot to shoot up the graduation ceremony for the Arts and Technology Academy of Pontiac (ATAP).
Bouchard said what first was called in as a fight at the United Wholesale Mortgage Sports Complex, where the ceremony was being held, quickly turned into something more after investigators received a tip.
"And as we delved deeper into it, it wasn't as simple as a fight that had been broken up and people pushed into the parking lot that were combatants," the sheriff told reporters Friday.
One witness told deputies that a family member had seen a threat on Snapchat to shoot up the graduation ceremony.
Bouchard said suspects were identified, and deputies learned that those suspects had been seen putting packages under cars in the parking lot; packages that investigators later found contained two loaded guns.
"They went deeper and found these weapons, and found what really was the undercurrent going on, and I believe probably prevented a mass shooting. When you consider the weapons that were there, the individuals that were involved who have a history of being involved with weapons and violence."
"...Now you've got weapons at the scene, a post that talked about a shooting of this particular event, and weapons recovered at the event fully loaded, with high-capacity magazines," the sheriff said. "Each weapon had a 40-round magazine, and they had one in the chamber and loaded magazines."
Bouchard said one of the firearms was a Glock handgun, and the other was what he described as "kind of an off-brand."
Bouchard said he's not yet sure how the dispute started, but he said the suspects have friends and relatives who attend ATAP.
A yet-unnamed 19-year-old Pontiac man was arrested on Tuesday, Bouchard said.
Friday afternoon, the sheriff said a second suspect, 20-year old Jamarion Hardiman of Pontiac, was arrested just hours after his name was released to the public.
Bouchard praised the person who came forward with the tip about the Snapchat post.
"It's already That kind of post, even anonymously you can report, through OK2Say or any methodology, to let us have extra presence and know what we're looking for, " Bouchard said.
The investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with additional information about this case should call the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office at 248-858-4950.