Novi Detroit Catholic Central apologizes for student's post about Oxford school shooting
Novi Detroit Catholic Central issued an apology Wednesday for an Instagram story posted by a student Tuesday night mocking the shooting at Oxford High School in 2021.
A student reposted a picture of the final score from the Catholic Central boys soccer account, showing Catholic Central beat Oxford, 2-0, in the state regional semifinal, with a caption saying “I thought Oxford had shooters!!??”
“We are disheartened by the comment on social media made by a Catholic Central student,” the statement on the school’s athletics website says. “Without a doubt, the post had a negative emotional impact on the Oxford community. Catholic Central strongly condemns the comment.
“Our school is built on the foundations of Goodness, Discipline, and Knowledge. The comment directly contrasts all three of these ideals. We have stood strong with Oxford for the past few years, and will continue to do so. The timing of this comment is especially difficult for the Oxford community, and we cannot adequately express our sincere sorrow at the situation. To put it clearly, Catholic Central does not tolerate such behavior from our students.”
Catholic Central said the incident was addressed with the student body and that they will continue to show support to the recovering community. The school would not comment on any potential punishment or the student's age.
“Upon learning of the post, our administration immediately took action,” Catholic Central director of public relations Jake Marmul told the Free Press. "We are leveraging our parents, teachers, and grade-level meetings to directly address the situation with our students. The comment stands against everything our community works to instill in our young men. We have several close ties with the Oxford community, and have stood with them since the tragedy in 2021. We will continue to support them as they continue to heal as a school family. We can, and must, do better."
The Instagram account is private as of Wednesday afternoon. The Free Press was unable to contact the Instagram account's owner.
The post was made nearly two years after the deadly school shooting at Oxford High. On Nov. 30, 2021, an Oxford student shot and killed four other students — Hana St. Juliana, 14; Tate Myre, 16; Madisyn Baldwin, 17; and Justin Shilling, 17 — and injured seven others inside the school.
The shooter, Ethan Crumbley, then 15, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and terrorism charges and will be sentenced in December. He is eligible for life in prison without parole. Crumbley’s parents are also facing involuntary manslaughter charges for purchasing the gun used in the massacre.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Catholic Central apologizes for student's post on Oxford shooting
