(FOX 2) – Communities around Pine Knob were on high alert for the better half of the day on Wednesday when sheriff’s deputies gathered at the concert venue entrance to assist federal agents.
The investigation focuses on two gang members who fled on foot near the venue, prompting a surge of police and shelter-in-place orders for the schools nearby.
The suspects remain at large even as the police presence has slowly dissipated.
Local perspective:
 One of the first people to locate the large presence of police at Pine Knob on Wednesday was Greg Tracy.
The maintenance worker was heading to the venue to set up decorations for the Magic of Lights festival when he came upon vehicles with the Oakland County Sheriff blocking the entrance.
“When I pulled into the site this morning, there was about 30 officers here and a helicopter flying over the property,” he said.
That was at 9 a.m.
Tracy said it was “a little nerve-racking.”
“Especially when you’re coming to set up Christmas lights.”
Big picture view:
The surge in police is tied to a hunt for two suspected gang members. The individuals had fled on foot near Pine Knob, prompting federal agents to request assistance from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.
“We were notified by federal agents that they were pursuing suspects – reported gang members – who had fled on foot near an elementary school in Independence Township,” said public information officer Stephen Huber.Â
Out of an abundance of caution, Clarkston Community Schools put their buildings under lockdown. It lifted at 11 a.m. The district superintendent said in a statement he got a call about federal agents searching the area of Sashabaw and Clarkston roads and asked them to secure their buildings.
“As we would with any police activity near our schools, we put our buildings into shelter-in-place as a precautionary measure. This is done to keep our students and staff safe inside our schools,” said Dr. Shawn Ryan.
The Source: Interview with maintenance worker and statements from police and superintendent were cited for this story.Â