Groves community shocked by potential gun violence threat

Kaylen Clark, Baity Wagner, and Delilah Covatta • November 21, 2025

Photographed by Hannah Gray on September 24, 2024, at Wylie E. Groves High School. Wylie E. Groves’ school sign is pictured in the photo.

On the evening of Thursday, November 20, the Beverly Hills Police Department received a report of a possible threat against Groves High School through OK2SAY, the State of Michigan’s anonymous safety reporting system. The OK2SAY program is a way for students to report potential safety threats against staff, students or the school as a whole.

A student who attends both Groves High School and Lincoln Street Alternative High School posted a picture of eight rifles and ammunition laid out on the floor to the Groves Class of 2026 Snapchat story. The post was available to students who attend Groves High School for a few hours.

The Birmingham Schools community was made aware of this situation through an email from Groves High School principal Othamian Peterson at 10:43 p.m. The email assured Birmingham families that the student would not be allowed to attend school out of an abundance of caution. They also stated there would be an increased security presence on campus to reassure the community of their safety, despite there being no direct threats to an individual or the school included in the post.

Due to the incident, a large number of students didn’t attend school on Friday, November 21. Additionally, many left during the school day after learning about the post. These absences were partially fueled by rampant rumors regarding the situation. This response is not uncommon and has been seen before in prior years, particularly after the Oxford High School shooting on November 30, 2021, in which Groves High School dealt with threats similar to the one made on Thursday, November 20.

Leaving school is a reasonable response after seeing a potential threat, and students have grown used to taking threats of violence— no matter how small or seemingly insignificant— seriously. If you see or hear something that you believe could be a threat to the safety of yourself or others, don’t hesitate to tell someone about it. Regardless of the circumstances, report it to OK2SAY or tell a trusted adult.

*Due to school policy and liability issues, we are unable to use the Snapchat post in this article.

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About the Contributors

Kaylen Clark, Editor-in-Chief

Kaylen Clark is currently a senior at Groves High School and this is her third year being a part of the Scriptor, but her first year working as an Editor-in-Chief. She is passionate about math and history. Her hope for after she graduates is to go on to study Political Science, with the hopes of becoming a lawyer. Outside of the Scriptor, she participates in the National Honors Society, Big Brother Big Sister and LINKS at Groves. She found her passion for writing in 8th grade and has enjoyed writing since. She enjoys writing for the Arts and Entertainment and Sports sections for the Scriptor.

Baity Wagner, Editor-in-Chief

Senior Baity Wagner is an Editor-in-Chief for the Scriptor. This is her third year, and she plans to continue writing literary pieces about her own life and philosophical topics. Wagner hopes to dive more into photography and features about everyday people’s lives. Wagner has won an honorable mention from MIPA, the MIPA Sparty award in “The Art of Storytelling,” and was a state finalist in the Reflections poetry contest. At Groves, Wagner is captain of the women’s water polo team and is a part of the Model UN and Pre-Medical club. After high school, Wagner plans on becoming a hospice nurse.

Delilah Covatta, Editor-in-Chief

Delilah Covatta is a senior at Groves High School and an editor-in-chief of the Scriptor. This is her third year with the Scriptor, and she hopes to continue writing personal narratives and expand into writing more news features and opinion pieces. Covatta developed her love for writing in elementary school, where she would write short stories in her free time. At Groves, she is a member of the girls swim and dive team, as well as National Art Honors Society, Green Club and Pen Pal Club. Covatta has received 1st place in the MIPA Journalism Competition for Personal Narrative and an honorable mention for diversity coverage. In her free time, Covatta enjoys listening to music, backpacking and reading. After graduation, she plans to major in English and political science, and hopes to continue her journalism career working for the student newspaper at her university.

Hannah Gray, Editor

Hannah is a senior at Groves High School. She has been in journalism for two years, and she enjoys writing and taking pictures of her friends and cats. Hannah developed her interest in writing in seventh grade and has continued to write since. She is passionate about science and would like to go into pre-med to be a plastic surgeon when she graduates. Hannah participates in the Women’s Empowerment Club, Ski, Big Brother Big Sister, and theater. She also enjoys law and order and crime shows.