Pontiac school graduation shooting plot suspect to be sentenced after guilty plea
OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - One of two men behind a plot to shoot up a high school graduation ceremony last year in Pontiac will be sentenced Tuesday.
Deahveon Whaley, 20, pleaded guilty to carrying a concealed weapon, carrying a firearm with unlawful intent, and possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
The backstory:
Authorities said Whaley and another man, 21-year-old Jamarion Hardiman, planned a mass shooting at the Arts and Technology Academy, which was held at the United Wholesale Mortgage sports campus in Pontiac on June 3. 2025.
Police were called to the ceremony after a fight involving the two men broke out, and from there, they managed to uncover and stop the planned shooting.
While investigating the fight, deputies were told about a Snapchat thread, which included threats to shoot up the graduation.
Deputies received assistance from UWM security and were shown video of Hardiman and Whaley.
Jamarion Hardiman and Deahveon Whaley.
Hardiman assaulted an unidentified individual after he and Whaley entered together. After UWM security intervened, Hardiman, Whaley, and other individuals involved in the fight left the building, and the fight continued in the parking lot. The defendants were apparently unarmed at that time.
As seen in the video, Hardiman was then struck by a vehicle before both he and Whaley went to their vehicle and retrieved firearms.
The Oakland County Prosecutor's Office said the suspects were seen on video crouching behind vehicles in the parking lot before leaving the loaded guns under parked vehicles. These firearms, an AR-style pistol with a round drum that included 40 rounds of ammunition and a Glock pistol with a 40-round magazine, were later retrieved by deputies.
It is unclear if either of the men actually made the threatening Snapchat message or if someone else was behind it.
"The combination of quick response and solid police work combined with our partnership at UWM was able to prevent a mass shooting at a school graduation," Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. "I am proud of the teamwork and glad the responsible defendants will be held to account."
What's next:
Hardiman also pleaded guilty to carrying a concealed weapon, carrying a firearm with unlawful intent, and possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 14.
The Source: Previous reporting was used.