SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – An increase in social media rumors about school threats has Seminole County officials urging parents to talk to their kids about the consequences of making threatening remarks in the wake of a school shooting last week in Georgia.
Now, community members online are circulating a petition to get metal detectors at one school.
Seminole County Public Schools sent a video message to parents Thursday evening from Superintendent Serita Beamon and Sheriff Dennis Lemma.
“This week in our district, we’ve seen a rise in unsubstantiated rumors of potential school shootings. In each of these cases, there were rumors of a potential threat, without there being evidence of an actual threat,” Beamon said.
Beamon said law enforcement officials investigate every report of threatening or violent remarks, both online or through tips sent in. Lemma said the rise in concerning behavior has occurred on social media and on campuses.
Law enforcement had to increase its presence at Seminole High School in Sanford on Thursday after a possible threat to the school was seen on social media. A 15-year-old boy was arrested Thursday evening.
According to an arrest report from Sanford Police Department, the 15-year-old sent a screenshot of a news article regarding mass shooting threats at Seminole High School to a friend on Instagram and sent a follow-up message saying, “It’s me, I told you I wanted to be the shooter.”
The report shows police searched the boy’s home and did not find any firearms.
“When false reports and pranks are reported, vital resources are drained,” Lemma said. “These actions are irresponsible and simply cannot be tolerated.”
On Wednesday, a student was taken into custody after Lake Brantley High School was placed on a code yellow because of a report of a gun. An unloaded gun was found.
A Seminole County Public Schools spokesperson said discussions are being had with the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office’s school safety division. The district has at least one law enforcement officer at each elementary and middle school in the county, and at least two officers at each high school. Every school also has a trained threat assessment team.
However, some are looking for more.
A petition circulating online calls for implementing metal detectors at Lake Brantley High School. It was started on Sept. 10 and as of Friday afternoon had more than 2,100 signatures.
Lemma urged parents to remind students that breaking school safety rules can lead to disciplinary action from the school or consequences from law enforcement.
“We must all work together to keep our schools, community and children safe,” Lemma said.
One mother we talked to said her family had a meeting on Thursday to discuss what has been going on lately with the threats and the gun incident at Lake Brantley.
Kathleen Hedgepeth plans on attending the upcoming school board meeting in October, and urges other parents to do the same.
“A gun made it onto our children’s campus, sat next to other children,” Hedgepeth said. “Now’s the time to just wake up. Wake up. Take a breath. Put your head up and come out to the Oct. 8 Seminole County board meeting and ask for what is needed.”
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