Four students and a teacher suffered minor injuries when another student accidentally detonated a homemade explosive device, state police said.
The 16-year-old student who detonated the device suffered moderate to severe injuries when it exploded Monday, March 8, in a classroom, state police said.
Newaygo Schools Superintendent Peggy Mathis said that the explosion was “not an attack or designed to be something malicious, but a serious lack of judgment.”
The explosion “was not somebody planting an explosive device in order to hurt our students. Those directly involved with the situation determined that was not the intent.”
School officials initially reported that the 16-year-old, who was hospitalized, was the only one believed to be injured in the morning blast. State police later said that four students were taken by parents to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries.
A teacher also sought treatment.
Newaygo police responded at 8:52 a.m. to a report of an explosion inside a classroom, state police Lt. Michelle Robinson said in a statement.
Early investigation shows that the 16-year-old brought the explosive to school before it detonated. Robinson said she could not describe the device with the investigation ongoing.
Schools Superintendent Peggy Mathis told MLive that an “explosive compound” was detonated. After the explosion, students were evacuated to the bus garage.
School workers and first responders immediately sought to determine what happened and if other students were at risk. All other schools in Newaygo County were put on lockdown until police determined there were no further threats to students.
High school students eventually were dismissed for the day because of smoke inside the building and the police investigation.
Robinson said that police are trying to determine the material used in the explosion and circumstances behind the student bringing it to school. Police believe it was an isolated incident.
The state police Bomb Squad, FBI and federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, or ATF, are on the scene trying to help identify the explosives used. Police asked people to avoid the area near the high school.
Multiple police, fire and hazardous-materials agencies from around the area responded to the explosion.
Source : Michigan News
