It was supposed to be opening night at a Detroit-area high school’s play, but on March 12, 2025, the curtain didn’t rise. Instead, emergency sirens wailed. 700 students and staff spilled out onto 13 Mile Rd. as a SWAT team and K9 units swarmed Lake Shore High School in St. Clair Shores.
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The threat…? Two chilling calls claiming there were bombs inside.
As St. Clair Shores Police cleared the halls and found absolutely nothing, the investigation shifted from keeping attendees safe to a hunt for a student’s mother named Crystal Royster. The 42-year-old called in two fake bomb threats to the school, the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office announced.
The most shocking part isn’t just that the threats were lies…it’s why she did it. Because her daughter was sent home sick earlier that day, school policy meant she couldn’t perform in the play. Royster didn’t just disagree with the school’s decision; she decided if her daughter wasn’t going on that stage, nobody was!
Royster was charged with reporting a false bomb threat — a felony— and pleaded guilty on November 13, 2025. Macomb County Circuit Court Judge Michael E. Servitto sentenced Royster to probation for 18-months with the first 14 days in the Macomb County Jail on Jan 8. She received credit for three days time served.
Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido said, “While the court determined that probation was the appropriate outcome, her actions nonetheless caused disruption and concern within the community.”
Additionally, she can’t have any contact with the victims and must notify the school before entering on school grounds. That’s not all. The hoaxser must also take a Class A impulse control class, ClickonDetroit.com reported. The class is designed to help folks manage their impulsive behavior and build emotional regulation skills.
A person found guilty of making fake threats “willfully and maliciously or with reckless disregard for the safety of human life” face up to five years behind bars, according to the Department of Justice. They could also face maximum penalties of $5,000.
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