BAY HARBOR ISLAND, Fla. (WSVN) – As the end of the school year approaches, school officials are noticing an increase in the number of school threats.
Among the most recent school threats was one at Ruth K. Broad Bay Harbor K-8 Center.
“It’s very sad that now, as a parent – I have a 9-year-old – and we have to worry about them getting shot,” said parent Francine Shoemaker.
The district said a threat was made at the school involving a student who said he was going to bring a gun onto the campus. The threat was deemed non-credible.
“I would like to have more information on what will happen with the kid, but the school cannot release it,” said a parent at the school.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho tweeted Thursday morning, saying “See something say something. It is a regular school day @RKBBHK8 after a reported threat was investigated and deemed non-credible.”
His tweet goes on to say all threats will be investigated.
Carvalho stopped by the school to ensure parents and students that everyone was safe.
“My advice to parents is have serious conversations with children about that type of behavior,” he said.
Carvalho promises the district will look into every threat to make sure the students are safe.
This alarming threat isn’t the only one that is keeping law enforcement busy across South Florida.
Parents with students at Devon Aire K-8 Center in Southwest Miami-Dade said they dealt with a threat involving a possible shooting. That threat was also deemed non-credible.
13-year-old Anthony Torres, a student at the school, fell victim to rumors that he was going to shoot up the school.
Speaking with 7News, Torres insisted he never intended to harm anybody.
“I didn’t want anybody else to think that I’m going to do something bad in the upcoming days,” said Torres.
The rumors started back in March, when he told classmates he wasn’t coming to school on teacher planning day.
He said students overheard the conversation and started the rumors.
Despite the nerve-racking accusation, his father said he had no problem with the investigation process and understands that it was necessary.
“Any threat should be taken seriously,” said Gabriel Torres.
However, he does believe things could have been done to make sure the rumors didn’t spread the way it did.
“They allowed it to snowball out of control,” he said.
In Broward County, at Franklin Academy in Pembroke Pines, police said a student made a hit list. That student was taken into custody.
And at Lanier James Education Center in Hallandale Beach, one student recently made a threat to shoot another student. He was also taken into custody.
Parents said they understand these threats are not credible and students may even think they’re funny, but given the recent school shootings, including the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, parents said it’s no joke.
“It’s a nationwide problem that you saw happen in Parkland and Houston, so it may be a small joke from a kid that’s a big mistake,” a parent said.
School officials said they plan to investigate and take every school threat seriously.
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