The 18-year-old Brandon Township man who threatened last fall to kill all the teachers at the Brandon Alternative High School has pleaded guilty to making a false report of terrorism.
Christopher Thompson entered the plea March 29 in front of 52-2 District Court Judge Kelley Kostin. Making a false report of terrorism is a 20-year felony. He also pleaded guilty to home invasion, second degree, stemming from a separate incident. The home invasion charge is a 15-year felony. In exchange for the pleas, a larceny of a firearm charge, a 5-year felony, was dismissed by 52-2 Judge Joseph Fabrizio.
According to police reports, Brandon Alternative High School Principal Pam Schoemer called police about 10:15 a.m., Nov. 16, ‘extremely concerned? for the safety of students and staff. She told Brown that Thompson, who had a ‘long list of issues? during his time as a Brandon student, became upset during class and was asked by the teacher to leave the school. His response was that he was going to ‘return and kill all the teachers.?
Thompson left prior to the arrival of police. Schoemer told Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Detective Dale Brown she believed that based on past experience with Thompson, his threats were credible and ‘he is the type who would act on those threats.?
Further investigation revealed that Thompson had made a prior threat to kill all the teachers on Nov. 13, with two teachers confirming they had heard him say this following his ejection from class for insubordination. In the police report, one of the teachers noted that Thompson has a ‘long history of violent outbursts and a very emotionally unstable personality.?
Thompson was arrested Nov. 17, after a two-day lockdown of both the H.T. Burt Lifelong Learning Center, where the alternative high school is housed, and Harvey Swanson Elementary, which is in the adjacent building.
The home invasion charge stemmed from a residential break-in that occurred Oct. 15 on Crescent Hill, in which jewelry and $2,500 cash was stolen. The dropped charge, larceny of a firearm, stemmed from the Nov. 3 break-in of a vehicle in the 3800 block of Apple in which a .40 caliber Glock 23 handgun was taken. That gun was later recovered in Detroit by agents from the Department of Homeland Security.
Thompson is scheduled to be sentenced at 8:30 a.m., April 15 in front of Sixth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Denise Langford Morris. Brown said minimum sentencing guidelines call for Thompson to spend nine to 20 months in jail.