Michigan student petitioned on terrorism charge after alleged threat

“It can have a negative effect on a students life, a very significant effect and that’s a shame,” said Berrien County Prosecutor Mike Sepic.

He’s unapologetically taking action for the sake of the community’s safety. Berrien county prosecutor Mike Sepic petitioned a 15-year-old Berrien Springs High School student on a terrorism charge after the student was arrested Wednesday for allegedly discussing verbal threats to use a firearm at the high school.

“That causes a lot of school personnel to kick into action, law enforcement personnel to kick in to action,” said Sepic.

According to the Berrien Springs superintendent those alleged threats were discussed off school grounds and when the FBI and local law enforcement officials stepped in there was no information that showed violence towards the school was imminent.

“Even a false threat or a joke is still of concern,” said Sepic.

Regardless, Sepic says after the recent spike in threats made toward schools across the country, enough is enough.

“The only way we can try to make students realize that is to actually go through with charges in juvenile court or if they’re 17 and in Michigan, then adult court,” said Sepic.

He says he’s taking these charges very seriously.

“Yes terrorism is a more significant charge than some of the other electronic communication charges but we really have to take action, try to discourage that.” that’s the only way we can try to curb all these threats,” said Sepic.

The Juvenile Division accepted the petition and the next court date will be an arraignment at a date still yet to be determined.

The school superintendent tells ABC 57 News as soon as they learned of the threat, law enforcement was contacted and parents were notified right away via email.