PONTIAC, Mich. — Authorities in Oakland County, Michigan, say they have arrested two suspects in connection with a thwarted mass shooting attempt during a high school graduation ceremony in Pontiac earlier this week.
Sheriff Michael Bouchard announced Friday that law enforcement disrupted what could have become a deadly attack at the Arts and Technology Academy of Pontiac (ATAP) graduation held Tuesday evening at the United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) Sports Complex.
What initially began as a fistfight quickly escalated into a potential mass casualty threat, officials said. Deputies responded at around 6:40 p.m. to reports of a physical altercation inside the venue, but were soon alerted by a concerned attendee that a threatening Snapchat post had circulated, suggesting someone planned to “shoot up the crowd,” Bouchard said.
Although the exact contents of the post are unavailable due to its deletion, authorities immediately acted on the information. Surveillance footage from UWM’s security system showed two individuals involved in the fight had been seen placing packages under cars in the parking lot.
The two suspects—both residents of Pontiac—were identified and taken into custody. One, 20-year-old Jamarion Jaryante Hardiman, was already on probation for a prior weapons conviction. A second 19-year-old male suspect, whose name is being withheld pending formal charges, also has a criminal history involving firearms.
Search teams recovered two fully loaded weapons at the scene: a Glock semi-automatic handgun with a 40-round extended magazine and a pink AR-style pistol similarly equipped. The latter was found concealed in a backpack under a vehicle.
“So just those two weapons without changing magazines had 80 rounds of potential firepower,” Bouchard said. “Shooting into a graduation—you can only imagine the outcome of that.”
Both suspects were allegedly uncooperative with investigators, the sheriff added. Formal charges are expected in the coming days.
In a statement posted on social media, the school confirmed that a brief physical altercation occurred during the ceremony but was quickly resolved by staff and security. “Thankfully, no one within the ceremony was harmed, and we were able to complete our beautiful commencement celebration without further disruption,” the statement read.
Local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies continue to investigate the incident and examine possible motives behind the threat.
