Livingston County law enforcement, schools react to fatal Oxford High School shooting

Plan but pray.

That is what law enforcement do in the wake of tragedies such as the shootings at Oxford High School, Livingston County Sheriff Michael Murphy said.

Four students were killed and seven injured in a shooting Tuesday afternoon at the high school; a 15-year-old sophomore was taken into custody at the scene.

"You plan but you pray," Murphy said. "You plan to be prepared but you pray it never comes here."

All five of Livingston's public school districts, law enforcement, first responders and the county's emergency management team have trained for years in preparation for any type of "active violence" situation, he said.

"There is nobody here big enough to go alone. Everybody in the world is coming," Murphy said.

The sheriff's office routinely performs threat assessments, both of buildings and for people. Sometimes those threats come through Facebook posts or Snapchat messages forwarded to law enforcement.

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard confirmed that in the days leading up to Tuesday's shooting someone had posted photos on social media of what could have been the gun used in the homicides and some shooting targets. Bouchard said the suspect appeared to make an online post with an image of the gun.

Individuals in Livingston County who want to report suspicious activity on social media or online can send an email to sheriff@livgov.com or reach out to their local law enforcement agency.

Brighton, Howell and Fowlerville schools have a school resource or community liaison officer listed in their staff directories. Pinckney entered an agreement with the Livingston County Sheriff's Office to have a outreach deputy assigned to the high school, Murphy said.

Safety and security a very high priority

Brighton Area Schools Superintendent Matt Outlaw said the district did a "full security assessment" last spring, including a review of facilities, procedures and training.

"In the wake of this tragedy, we will continue to work closely with law enforcement and make any additional modifications that they recommend," Outlaw said in an email. "Safety and security will remain a very high priority for the Brighton Area Schools."

Superintendents Rick Todd of Pinckney and Wayne Roedel of Fowlerville sent letters to staff and parents reiterating their commitment to safety and offering resources to students struggling with the Oxford event.

Fowlerville students have the opportunity to meet with social workers and counselors for support, Roedel wrote in the letter,

"We ask students, parents, and community members to report all suspicious or threatening activity to law enforcement and/or school/district administration immediately. Information can also be shared using the OK2SAY hotline by calling 1-855-565-2729 or texting to 652729," he wrote.

Todd's letter to parents and staff echoed much of what Roedel wrote.

"I know I am not alone in saying that we view all of our students as if they were our own and from my own experience as a parent, these situations can be challenging to discuss at home," Todd wrote. "But given how much local media coverage this incident is receiving, we must make sure we take time to talk with our children about the event given they are more than likely seeing/hearing details about what occurred,."

Students in Pinckney schools also have the opportunity to meet with counselors and family specialists at the school.

Erin MacGregor, superintendent for Howell Public Schools, said he communicated with district staff and families Wednesday, extending sympathies and providing resources for families.

"A tragic event like this needs to serve as an important reminder of the role we all play in keeping our students, staff, and community safe each day. Specifically, the importance of reporting any concerns to our building administrators, a school resource officer, a trusted adult in the school, or through the OK2Say program," he said in an email.

MacGregor said he shared a link to resources on the National Association of School Psychologists website as well as a link to material directed for younger students on Johns Hopkins' website.

Contact Kayla Daugherty at 517-552-2848 or kdaugherty@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @KayDaugherty92.

This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Livingston County law enforcement, schools react to Oxford shooting