OCALA, Fla. – A 15-year-old girl was arrested after police said she sent a false email to another student’s mother claiming there was a school shooting at their Ocala high school.
Officers said they responded to Trinity Catholic High School, located at 2600 SW 42nd St., after the girl took another student’s iPad to send an email to a parent claiming there was a shooting taking place on campus.
Recommended Videos
The mom called 911 and officers were dispatched, the department said. While officers were on their way, the mom who phoned police learned from her child that “there was no shooting and that another classmate had sent the hoax threat.”
After responding, talking with school officials and determining there was no threat, officers said they then identified and arrested the teen accused of sending the hoax email.
[TRENDING: Become a News 6 Insider]
“We take threats like this very seriously and will not hesitate to take action against those who seek to cause harm or create panic in our community. We are relieved that this turned out to be a false alarm, but we want to remind everyone that making threats like this, even as a joke, is never acceptable. It causes undue stress and anxiety for those involved, wastes valuable resources, and diverts our attention from real emergencies. We encourage parents to have conversations with their children about the importance of safety in our schools and to report any concerns or suspicious activity to law enforcement immediately,” the Ocala Police Department said in a statement.
The department further praised the mother “for her quick thinking and reporting of the threat” and its officers “for their swift and professional response to the situation.”
The teen faces a second-degree felony charge for making a false report concerning the use of firearms in a violent manner.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: