Monday, November 18, 2024 

Statement from Oakland County Prosecutor Karen D. McDonald:
From the very beginning, I have supported the parents of Hana St. Juliana, Justin Shilling, Madisyn Baldwin, and Tate Myre in their call for a comprehensive, state-led investigation into the shooting at Oxford High School.

As indicated in my memo to the families, there is a difference between the role of a prosecutor, who is an advocate, and that of the police and other investigators, who gather evidence.  My office does not have the authority to conduct the investigation the families have asked for.  The Attorney General does.

We are not aware of any mechanism for our office to refer a matter to the Attorney General’s office when it has not been presented to our office.  And what the families are asking for is much broader.  We are not aware of any action needed by my office to activate the Attorney General’s authority, but we will do everything possible to enable such an investigation.  And my office will fully cooperate with any such investigation.

There is so much we can learn, and we owe it to the students who were killed and those who were injured, their families, the Oxford community, and our children to do everything we can to prevent future shootings. An independent investigation remains a critical, missing piece in that process.

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CONTACT: ocpomedia@oakgov.com