'Gun violence threat' stemming from teen’s dispute with ex-girlfriend interrupts homecoming dance at Monroe County high school: sheriff

TEMPERANCE (WWJ) A 'gun violence threat' created a scare at homecoming at a high school in Monroe County, the sheriff said.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said, on Saturday (9/21) just before 7:00 p.m., Central Dispatch notified deputies of a threat against Bedford High School in Temperance. They responded to the school, which was hosting their annual homecoming dance for students. Deputies began a “coordinated effort to determine the credibility of the threat,” according to a news release from the sheriff's office.

Michigan State Police also assisted at the scene with perimeter security at the campus on Jackman at Dean roads, about 10 miles outside of Toledo.

According to the sheriff’s office; a 15-year-old boy from Toledo, Ohio, made the threat. Investigators contacted the suspect’s parents, who were home with him in Toledo. His name is being withheld. He was not at the dance.

Further investigation revealed the threat stemmed from a "dispute with (the suspect's) ex-girlfriend" and appeared to be an "isolated incident", the sheriff’s office said.

Deputies and police monitored the students and the campus "closely for safety" while the dance continued.

Deputy Jeremy Lestock, Bedford High School Resource Officer, is investigating the case. If anyone has information, they should call the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Detective Bureau at (734) 240-7530 or OK2SAY at 855-OK2SAY (855) 565-2729.