A man was arrested Tuesday after trying to get into a Romulus school and firing a gun near the building, authorities said.
Romulus police said they received a report of an active shooter at Romulus Middle School at 9:53 a.m. The suspect had attempted to enter the building through its main entrance, police said, and there was a report that shots were fired.
The school, located on Wick Road near Shook Road in Romulus, was placed under lockdown as officers responded to the scene, police said.
The suspect, a 44-year-old man, was taken into custody, and a handgun was recovered. There were no reports of injuries.
“The investigation is ongoing as to the subject’s motive or intentions,” Romulus police said in a Facebook post. “There is no ongoing threat to the school or the community.”
Amid the investigation, the district asked parents to allow their students to remain at school.
“There is a significant police presence on campus, along with media on site, and keeping students in place allows school staff and law enforcement to manage the situation safely and effectively,” Porsche Laster, president of the Romulus Community Schools Board of Education, said in a Facebook post. “Please be assured that students are safe. The school is currently under a soft lockdown as a precautionary measure while the investigation continues.”
School district officials were not immediately available Tuesday for comment.
“Your RPD would like to commend RCS employees for their quick recognition of danger and immediate notification to 911,” police said on Facebook. “Their professional and timely actions may have prevented this incident from becoming much worse.”
State Sen. Darrin Camilleri, a Trenton Democrat whose 4th District includes Romulus, said he’d been in touch with local leaders and was monitoring the situation.
“I’m extremely grateful that our school staff and first responders were able to ensure that all students and staff remained safe during this frightening moment,” Camilleri said in a statement. “Every safety system worked today, and we avoided any potential tragedy.”
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer also said Tuesday her office was in touch with local officials about the incident.
“Thank you to law enforcement and school personnel for acting quickly to keep students and staff safe,” Whitmer wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
The Romulus Middle School incident is among the most recent in which police were called to address a school security threat.
Last month, two students from a Wayne County school allegedly made threats against the Center Line High School in Macomb County. Both were charged in Macomb Juvenile Court with a misdemeanor, making an intentional threat to cause an act of violence against a school, student or staff.
The month before, Howell Public Schools were closed for a day because of a threat circulating on social media.
Days before that, evening activities at the Warren Woods-Tower High School were canceled following a “swatting” incident.
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