(WXYZ) — Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard held a press conference Thursday with school leaders and other officials to address a rash of copycat threats following the deadly shooting at Oxford High School earlier this week.
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“If you’re making threats, we’re going to find you,” said Bouchard.
He said typically the threats fall into two buckets: "One, they think it’s funny. It is not. Two, they think it’s a way to get out of school. It is not. It’s a crime," said Bouchard.
Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said a false threat of terrorism is a 20-year felony.
“We will charge it and we will hold people accountable,” said McDonald.
On Thursday, copycat threats forced more than a dozen school districts to close.
The sheriff said the copycat threats are overrunning their resources and inflaming the fears of teachers, students and the community.
"All of us are going to work 24/7 to make sure those schools are safe," said Bouchard.
