Parents:Teen 'absolutely not' dangerous

RICHLAND, Mich. (WOOD) - The parents of a teen who brought a gun to school told 24 Hour News 8 in an exclusive interview that their son has done everything the Gull Lake Community Board of Education has asked, and that he should be allowed to go back to school.

Janice and Patrick Metzger want to set the record straight about their son.

Their 14-year-old son served time in juvenile detention after stealing his father's truck and driving to school with a loaded gun in November 2011. The incident got him expelled from Gull Lake Middle School, but now he wants back into the school district as a high school freshman.

The Metzgers say the community should "absolutely not" be scared of their son.

"DJ has never before touched anything that didn't belong to him. He's never even fired a gun before," said Patrick Metzger.

Other parents are outraged that the Gull Lake school board is considering re-admitting the student.

"The original plan, according to one of the other students that was interviewed, was to kill his parents before he was running away," said parent Michelle Tombro Tracy. "To me, that sounds pretty dangerous. I can't imagine something that would be more dangerous than that."

The Metzgers say that's not true, but wouldn't get into all the details, as they are seeking legal counsel.

They did say that the gun their son stole was an antique that belonged to Janice's father and didn't even work.

They also said their son served house arrest, went through counseling and is ready to go back to school.

"He has asked us several times, 'What else can I do for this just to be over with?' And he's willing to whatever he has to do and take his punishment and that's what we've always taught him. You do the crime, you do the time," said Janice Metzger.

But several parents have urged the school board not to let the boy back into the district.

Within two weeks, a school board-appointed committee will make a recommendation on whether the teen should be allowed back to school under certain conditions, unconditionally, or not at all.