BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. (WSVN) – Nine Broward County students, ages 11 to 15, have been arrested for making threats against schools since just before the 2024-25 school year began, authorities said.
Two more students have been arrested by other law enforcement agencies. According to BSO, the arrests involved students from schools across the county, with threats posted on platforms like Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp.
BSO said that the threats ranged from bomb threats to promises of school shootings, with several students claiming their posts were jokes.
“It’s a crime,” said Broward Schools Superintendent Dr. Broward Hepburn. “When you make a threat to our school. It is definitely not a joke.”
A 14-year-old boy, a 13-year-old boy, and a 13-year-old girl have all been arrested for making threats on Snapchat. An 11-year-old was also taken in for making a bomb threat at Somerset Academy in Deerfield Beach, the incident caused the entire school to be evacuated. A 14-year-old girl was arrested for threatening to commit school shootings at multiple schools in Broward County.
Another arrest came following a teen’s threats toward Northeast High School on social media. Though his parents said he is a good kid with a 3.0 GPA, he may never be allowed back to school.
The string of threats has led to sitting Judge Elijah H. Williams begging students to think before they act.
“If you are charged and found guilty,” he said. “You will ultimately be facing up to three years of confinement in a locked-down facility.”
BSO urges parents, caregivers, and educators to remind children and teens to think before they post online, as any threat is treated seriously and can lead to an arrest with long-term consequences.
Hepburn said he would not stand for the threats to continue.
“One bad decision can ruin or change a young person’s trajectory for the rest of their life,” Dr. Hepburn said.
Under Florida law, whether it is said aloud, written in text, or posted on social media, an individual can be charged with a felony for written threats to kill, bodily injury, or conduct a mass shooting.
Anyone who sees or hears these types of threats should immediately report them to law enforcement or submit them to the SaferWatch app or through FortifyFL.
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