Teen Overcharged in School Shooting Threat: Attorney

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Lawyers for two of the three teenagers accused of planning a school shooting say their clients never intended to follow through with the threats, which authorities regarded as “serious and credible.”

The three teens — Ryan Stevens, 18, of Linden, and Lamar Dukes, of West Bloomfield, and Cody Brewer, of Wolverine Lake, both 15 — are all charged as adults.

After new evidence surfaced, their probable cause hearing, originally scheduled for Thursday morning, was postponed, The Flint Journal/MLive.com reports.

The alleged threats were made after a Linden High School student posted something “derogatory” about Stevens on social media, Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said.

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Stevens allegedly made death threats and threats of violence against the student after the post was taken down, the prosecutor told the newspaper.

Stevens’ attorney, Ken Karasick, said the case appears to have involved “teenagers who are lacking a fully developed brain, texting and Instagram-ing and using social media without thinking of the consequences.”

“I can certainly appreciate erring on the side of caution with allegations of this nature,” said Jodi L Hemingway, Dukes’ attorney. “I don’t disagree with Mr. Leyton saying that you can’t take a wait-and-see approach in this type of circumstance, but I think that when all of the information comes to light and the dust settles a bit, it will be clear that this was ‘social media gone wild’ and not a serious plan to do anyone harm.”

The three were arrested on Oct. 29, a day before they are accused of planning to carry out the shootings, after an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Michigan State Police and Argentine Township Police Department.

The FBI was notified after police reportedly found evidence on Stevens’ phone of a plan to get access to weapons.

The charges against the three are as follows:

• Stevens is charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree premeditated murder, a felony punishable by life in prison without parole, and false report or threat of terrorism.
• Dukes is charged with conspiracy — legal act/illegal manner, a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine — and false report or threat of terrorism, a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.
• Brewer is charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree premeditated murder, and false report or threat of terrorism.

All three remain in custody.

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