Emails give insight into response after active shooter drill at Michigan psych hospital for kids

NORTHVILLE TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Emails sent between state administrators and employees inside a child psychiatric hospital in Michigan give insight into the response after an unannounced active shooter drill.

The Hawthorn Center is a state-run psychiatric hospital for children in Northville Township, Michigan. On Dec. 21, 2022, the center held an unannounced active shooter drill. Patients, and most of the staff, were not told that a drill would be conducted. Many people inside the center said they were terrified when an announcement came on the loudspeaker that active shooters were on the premises.

Even police had not been notified that a drill was taking place. According to documents, 911 calls came in reporting active shooters and 22 police officers rushed to the center. People inside the center were terrified and employees working at the center said it was chaos inside the building.

Body camera footage from police officers shows them rushing to the scene. Northville Township wasn’t the only department that responded — Northville, Livonia and Michigan State Police also rushed there. When they arrived, officers quickly grabbed their tactical weapons and heavy gear.

Officers made contact with two people in front of the building. They told the officers that they were employees and that the “active shooter” situation was just a drill. The employees sprawled out on the ground until officers could confirm it was a drill.

The drill caused many people to fear for their lives and sparked lawsuits. During the drill, employees barricaded themselves in TV rooms and behind mattresses, armed with anything they could find.

“I couldn’t stop crying, tears rolling down my eyes, I couldn’t stop shaking, I was trembling uncontrollably,” an employee told Local 4. “It’s created anxiety, trouble sleeping. Every time this is mentioned, it’s like reliving the event.”

Local 4 obtains emails from MDHHS/Hawthorn Center employees

Internal emails show messages between hospital staff and other MDHHS employees.

“I wonder about implications for our bureau,” Jim Koval (MDHHS) wrote.

“I can only imagine what that was like with the kids,” Samantha Reid (Hawthorn Center) wrote.

“The drill frightened staff and patients. The scripted announcement was lifelike and alarming with racial overtones,” George Mellos (MDHHS) wrote

A Black employee who was instructed to walk through the Hawthorn Center during the unannounced active shooter drill is suing for the impact he said that traumatic experience has had on his life.

“I know I’m the one that almost got killed,” Brandon Woodruff told Local 4. “But I’m honestly more concerned about the kids and how the other staffers feel because for that moment they were afraid of me.”

According to that lawsuit, hospital director Victoria Petti released the following email to staff at 5:11 p.m. on the day of the drill: “This morning an active intruder alert was announced on the overhead system. Although this was a drill it was not announced as such. Understandably, many in the building became frightened and some contacted 911. A tactical team responded to these calls and arrived armed and in full gear. I want to convey how deeply sorry I am that this occurred and for the stress it’s caused. I spoke with many of you today and hope to reach others in the next few days. I know this has touched you all in different ways.”

There are emails about the lawsuit as well, and some seemed to make light of the complaints.

“Maybe we should sue over being yelled at that we were dead,” Patti Farrand (MDHHS).

“Hey, you’re right. I have PTSD because of it,” Elizabeth Sayraf (MDHHS) wrote.

“Is that why you were off yesterday 😊,” Farrand wrote.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services conducted an internal investigation into the unannounced active shooter drill and concluded that “there is not enough evidence to indicate any work rule or other policy violations on the part of any Hawthorn Center staff members.”

Investigative summary report