Guidepost Solutions, a New York-based risk management firm, has been selected by Oakland County officials to conduct an independent review of the emergency response to the 2021 Oxford High School shooting. As reported by CBS News Detroit, this review is the latest effort to increase transparency. It comes more than three years after the attack, which claimed the lives of four students and injured several others, including a teacher.
Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter stated, per CBS News Detroit, "We are committed to an open and thorough examination of the county's response to the tragic shootings at Oxford High School by law enforcement, emergency management and all county departments activated in the moments, days and months after the shootings three years ago." These comments were echoed by Commission Chair David T. Woodward, who emphasized that while tragedies are hoped never to be encountered, they must learn and improve from such incidents. According to The Detroit News, the Oakland County Board of Commissioners has approved a $500,000 budget for the third-party review.
The scope of the review by Guidepost includes assessing command and coordination, first responder actions, mental health and recovery, communications, and overall training and preparedness. Stakeholders such as victims, families, and first responders will have their voices heard through town halls, listening sessions, and interviews during the review process. The findings are anticipated to be made public sometime in mid-2025. Previously, Guidepost Solutions reviewed the Oxford Community Schools' handling of the shooting, which, according to FOX 2 Detroit, highlighted failures at every level of the district in providing a safe environment.
Meanwhile, the families of the victims continue to advocate for change. The father of one of the slain students, Buck Myre, lamented, as per FOX 2 Detroit, "It's been three years since the shooting, and we haven’t implemented any real change." The thrust for a state-wide investigation led by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is ongoing, despite resistance from the school board to Nessel's prior offers to investigate the incident. Steve St. Juliana, whose daughter was among the victims, expressed his approval of Guidepost's role in the upcoming review, saying, "Just being able to have an independent review and acknowledgement of what happened that day and what went right and wrong -— that’s really important to me, finally getting a solid understanding of what happened," as he told The Detroit News.
