Romulus High School's homecoming football game against Annapolis High School was called off Friday after district officials said they received credible information about a coordinated intention to incite violence. The cancellation leaves the matchup in limbo, with officials saying it will be rescheduled but offering no new date yet.
District Says Student Tip Led to Cancellation
District officials identified the matter as a threat of student violence, according to WXYZ 7 News Detroit. The game had been scheduled as part of a Romulus-Annapolis varsity football matchup listed for Friday. Superintendent Benjamin Edmondson credited a student for reporting the potential threat, and he said it is his responsibility as superintendent to ensure the safety of the community and act with certainty, particularly when receiving any threat of violence at district events.
Edmondson urged parents to talk with their children about reporting concerning behavior or potential threats, and he said parents and teachers who become aware of possible harm should report it to the district and community. He said he will provide more information as transparently as possible as the situation develops. The report notes that students reported the potential threat to appropriate authorities in a timely manner, though Romulus police had not confirmed an investigation or commented on the district's statement as of the report.
Not the First Scare at a Romulus School
This is not the first time a Romulus school has grappled with a reported threat. In September 2024, Romulus High School was placed on lockdown after an apparent threat was air-dropped to some students' cellphones, according to The News-Herald. Police said at the time that the threat was believed to have no credibility and that students were not in danger.
More recently, in January 2026, a 44-year-old man was arrested after allegedly trying to enter Romulus Middle School with a gun and firing near the building, as reported by The Detroit News. A handgun was recovered, the school was placed under lockdown as officers responded, and authorities reported no injuries.
State Law Now Requires Threat Assessment Teams
Friday's cancellation comes as every K-12 school in Michigan is required to have a behavioral threat assessment and management team in place as of Oct. 1, a mandate that stems from school-safety legislation Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed in early 2025, according to the Detroit Free Press. These teams are tasked with probing reports of alarming behavior and identifying credible threats within a school community, and the process calls for identifying concerning behavior, determining whether a student poses a threat, and intervening to reduce that risk.
The newspaper's reporting also points to how the process has played out elsewhere in the state: a pepper-spray incident at a Monroe middle school triggered a threat-assessment screening that ultimately found the level of concern was low, with no intent to harm. Separately, the Michigan State Police Office of School Safety has said it hosted 31 behavioral threat assessment and management workshops during the 2022-23 school year, aiming to help schools work with families and students to address factors that can contribute to violent or aggressive thoughts, per the Michigan State Police Office of School Safety. Under state law, as described by the Michigan Legislature, these teams are also responsible for educating school communities about warning signs, distinguishing credible from noncredible threats, and developing a central reporting mechanism for students, parents and staff.
For now, Romulus families are left waiting on next steps. District officials have said the homecoming game will be rescheduled, but no new date had been announced as of Friday.
