Student-made explosive device detonates in class, injuring 6 people, Michigan cops say

Five students and a teacher were injured Monday when a homemade explosive device detonated inside a high school classroom, according to Michigan State Police.

The superintendent of the district that includes Newaygo High School, about 40 miles north of Grand Rapids, said the explosion was not a “malicious” act.

A 16-year-old student who brought the explosive device to school sustained moderate to severe injuries when it accidentally detonated, police said. Four other students suffered minor injuries, and their teacher also sought treatment at the hospital.

All Newaygo Public Schools went into lockdown as a precaution, police said. The high school was evacuated and its students were transferred to a bus garage.

Parents were asked by Newaygo County Emergency Services to pick up their kids.

The explosion was the result of “a serious lack of judgment,” superintendent Peggy Mathis told MLive.

It “was not somebody planting an explosive device in order to hurt our students,” she said. “Those directly involved with the situation determined that was not the intent.”

Police have not determined what material was used in the explosion and how the device detonated. A search warrant has been executed at a local home as a part of the investigation, according to police.

This story was originally published March 9, 2021 at 6:32 AM with the headline "Student-made explosive device detonates in class, injuring 6 people, Michigan cops say."