A 17-year-old Avon Park High School student was arrested today after making a school shooting threat.
The student admitted to using his school-issued laptop to write the message containing the threat on a Google document that was shared with students from another school. The threat was flagged by the school district’s system that monitors communication on the devices.
“I’m at a loss why students keep doing things like this,” Sheriff Paul Blackman said. “It’s not a joke, and we will never treat it as one. We will arrest anyone who makes any kind of threat of violence involving our schools. We do not joke around when it comes to the safety of our students.”
The student was charged with one count of violation of Florida State 836.10, which states “it is unlawful for any person to send, post, or transmit, or procure the sending, posting, or transmission of, a writing or other record, including an electronic record, in any manner in which it may be viewed by another person, when in such writing or record the person makes a threat to:
(a) Kill or to do bodily harm to another person; or
(b) Conduct a mass shooting or an act of terrorism.”
Violation of this statute is a second-degree felony, punishable up to 15 years in prison, a $10,000 fine, or both.
