Police: De La Salle on lockdown after bomb threat made over social media

Warren — Warren De La Salle Collegiate High School was put on lockdown Tuesday morning due to a threat made on social media, police said.

Warren Police Commissioner Bill Dwyer said investigators don't believe the threat to be credible.

He said the school's administration locked down the building at about 10 a.m. Tuesday due to the threat and notified police. De La Salle president John Knight didn't immediately return a call from The News.

"We responded with some uniformed officers and a couple of detectives," Dwyer said. Police are still at the school and continue to investigate.

Initially, the social media posts were about a protest at the school in which students planned to walk out of the building at about 10 a.m., he said.

The protest was to be in support of three students who were suing the school over a hazing incident. "From there, there were more posts and they escalated to 'we're going to bomb the school,'" according to the commissioner.

More: 3 suspended De La Salle students sue over hazing inquiry

The lawsuit was filed in Macomb County Circuit Court, alleging the students were singled out for lengthy suspensions in the wake of a hazing incident that led the school to cancel its state playoff football game.

Tuesday's threat is the second one in as many months made against the school amid the fallout from the hazing incident that allegedly involved varsity football players. A threat prompted officials to cancel classes at the school on Nov. 1.

More: Threat cancels classes at Warren De La Salle Friday

Dwyer also said Tuesday his department had received a request from the St. Clair County Prosecutor's Office for more information about the alleged hazing incident. As a result, Warren police detectives will be interviewing students for the request, he said.

The school is located in Macomb County, but the county's prosecutor, Eric Smith, recused his office from the case last month because one of his staff members could be a witness in the incident.

In addition to the lawsuit, De La Salle said its football coach will not return next season. De La Salle officials would not say if Mike Giannone, who has won four state titles, was fired or resigned.

More: Mike Giannone, winner of four state titles, out as Warren De La Salle football coach

In October, De La Salle, the two-time defending state champion, canceled its football playoff game against Birmingham Groves after news of the alleged hazing incident surfaced.

cramirez@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @CharlesERamirez