'Killing kids' threat suspect arraigned

A former Howell High School student arraigned Friday on terrorism charges for making online threats about “killing kids” has the mental capacity of a child, his mother said.

Scott Richard Parker, 22, spoke only to reply “yes” to the Livingston County magistrate’s questions about whether the Canton Township man understood the charges, which are four counts of making a threat of terrorism.

Magistrate Jerry Sherwood set a $750,000 bond and various conditions, including electronic monitoring should Parker be released.

“Am I going home?” Parker asked a deputy standing next to him during the video arraignment from jail and before the video feed was terminated.

Parker’s mother, Denise Canelopoulos, who was visibly distraught during the arraignment, and stepfather, said they believe Parker did not understand the arraignment procedure because he has the mental capacity of a 6- or 7-year-old child. They agreed that Parker replied “yes” because he believes he’s supposed to agree with authorities.

Authorities allege Parker made online threats Wednesday about “killing kids” on Twitter and that he included Howell Public Schools’ handle, @HowellMISchools.

Neither police nor the prosecutor’s office have revealed the tweet’s specific content.

Prosecutor William Vailliencourt said the tweet involved four Howell-area schools.

Sherwood questioned the prosecutor about whether a no-contact order should be in place regarding the four Howell school district staff members named in the complaint.

That prompted Canelopoulos to whisper her son does not associate with the named administrators and teacher.

“No compassion,” she whispered as Vailliencourt told the court the four people are “school officials.”

The felony complaint lists as witnesses: Jason Schrock and Amy Pashak, the principal and assistant principal, respectively, of Howell High School and the Howell High School Freshman Campus; and Southwest Elementary Principal Jennifer Goodwin and Hutchings Elementary School technology teacher Ryan Horne.

Parent Tim Jones, who has a daughter at Hutchings, attended the arraignment because he "wanted to see who was being charged." He said the initial messages from the school about the threat and the follow-up letter announcing terrorism charges caused him concern. After seeing the arraignment, Jones said now that he's seen and heard Parker "he's most likely not a threat."

"It's eased my mind a bit," he said.

Canelopoulos said there is no way her son could have followed through on the alleged threats. She said he has cerebral palsy, which has caused a deformity to his hand and feet, and he is unable to drive. He also has no access to weapons, she said.

“They got it all wrong. He’s not a terrorist,” Canelopoulos said. “He wouldn’t have followed through with it. … He had no intentions of ever hurting anyone. I don’t think he realized when he wrote whatever he did.

“His mind is at 6 or 7 (years old). He is a very compassionate kid, and he wouldn’t hurt anyone,” the mother added. “I can’t believe they are trying to treat him like a grown adult.”

Canelopoulos tried to explain her son’s medical and mental history to Sherwood, who expressed concern.

“He was very specific about where he was going and what he was going to do,” Sherwood told the mother, who wiped tears from her face.

Canelopoulos told the magistrate that she and her husband are working to get her son an attorney.

Parker, who faces up to 20 years in prison if he is convicted as charged, returns to District Court on Dec. 23 for an exam conference. It is anticipated that an attorney may request a competency exam.

Following the arraignment, Canelopoulos said the prosecutor should be “ashamed of himself.”

“This is what’s wrong with today’s society. Instead of trying to get the child help who is mentally ill, they’d rather throw him in prison so he can be beaten and found dead somewhere,” she said. “The prosecutor has no emotion or feelings. How can you prosecute a child who has a mind of 6 or 7 year old?”

Vailliencourt told the court that once Parker's attorney is hired, the two sides can discuss the next step, including any opportunity to a psychiatric examination to determine competency "to understand these legal proceedings and whether he is criminally responsible for these acts."

"As I stated in court, once he has an attorney we are ready to expedite that process," Vailliencourt said. "After both sides are able to review the results of those examinations, and both sides are fully informed, the legal process can work to determine the most appropriate outcome in this case, but the making of these kinds of threats is very serious and demands that the circumstances be fully explored."

Contact Livingston Daily justice reporter Lisa Roose-Church at 517-552-2846 or lrchurch@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @LisaRooseChurch.