ORLANDO, Fla. _ In the wake of the mass shooting Wednesday at a high school in Broward County, law enforcement agencies across Florida were at local schools Friday grappling with social media threats and reports of suspicious people.
None of the threats so far has proven credible, officials stressed, but they prompted lockdowns at multiple schools and caused some parents to pull their children out of class, out of fear or an abundance of caution.
Much of the angst seemed to stem from a Snapchat post _ suggesting "Round 2" of the South Florida massacre was soon to come _ that led to the arrest of a teenager in South Carolina. The post was widely shared online, officials said, sometimes with language targeting specific schools.
A 14-year-old student at Space Coast Junior/Senior High School in Brevard County was arrested after sharing the post and adding, "I'm coming space coast watch out," Sheriff Wayne Ivey said. The girl shared the threat as a joke _ an act the sheriff called "as sick as you can possibly be" _ but it caused widespread fear, he said.
"When something like this happens, the tentacles of it are far-reaching," Ivey said.
In Volusia County, a 14-year-old student was arrested Friday after joking about the South Florida shooting and threatening to "blow up" and "shoot up" his classroom during first period, deputies said. The Heritage Middle School student is facing charges of a false report of a bomb and disrupting a school administrator.
In Lake County, superintendent Diane Kornegay in a statement said there would be an increased law enforcement presence at schools and student absences Friday would be excused, due to threatening messages posted online that mentioned Eustis Middle, Clermont Middle, Tavares Middle, Tavares High, Eustis High, South Lake High and East Ridge High.
She said none of the threats had been confirmed. Lake County Sheriff's Office spokesman John Herrell called them rumors and said there "have been no actual threats specific to any Lake County Schools thus far." In an effort to ease anxieties, extra deputies will patrol the schools next week, he said.
Still, some parents opted to remove their kids from school.
A message from Lake County Schools regarding recent threats on social media.
"My kids will not be returning until Lake County gets a grip," Crystal Bain said as she left Tavares Middle School after picking up her two daughters. Bain was headed to Tavares High and Tavares Elementary to pick up a son from each school. "My kids will not be a casualty."
She said the district needs to provide more security and take reports of bullying seriously.
Jacquelyn Smith, another parent picking up a child at Tavares Middle, said, "Too much going on in society today. Don't want to take a chance."
Cpl. Sarah Coursey said Tavares police were "investigating the validity of any and all threats made, but there is no reason to panic at this time."
In Orange County, Gotha Middle and Thornbrooke Elementary were placed on lockdown Friday after three men _ one of whom appeared to have a gun _ were seen nearby, the Sheriff's Office said. Deputies found the men and determined they were carrying airsoft guns.
A brief lockdown at Windermere High was also lifted.
In Seminole County, Teague Middle School sent an email to parents citing "rumors about a threat circulating amongst students today around campus." The school told parents that students were "completely safe and school activities are occurring as normal."
Bob Kealing, a spokesman for the Sheriff's Office, said there was no credible threat. But many parents still pulled their kids out of school. In an email to parents, Seminole County Public Schools said the proliferation of "noncredible threats" by students in the wake of a high-profile tragedy is to be expected.
"These types of threats are no laughing matter," the district's statement said. "Please be warned that we have zero tolerance for this kind of behavior and any student caught making these types of threats will face serious consequences such as expulsion and potential criminal charges."
Since the shooting claimed 17 lives at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, copycat threats have been percolating on social media. A South Carolina teen was arrested after sending a picture on Snapchat of himself in a mask, holding what appeared to be an assault rifle with the caption "Round 2 of Florida tomorrow."
Lt. Kevin Bobo, a spokesman for the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office in South Carolina, in an emailed statement said there wasn't "any sort of connection" between the teen's arrest and schools in Florida.
"Apparently the incident here... is resulting in the sharing of misinformation at a rapid pace," Bobo said. "The continued sharing of that post is causing unnecessary alarm for students and parents of school-aged children" in Florida, he said.
Bobo said deputies were called by a parent in Spartanburg late Wednesday whose daughter had seen the teen's threatening Snapchat post. Deputies identified the teen and searched his home, Bobo said, finding the mask and the gun _ which turned out to be an airsoft rifle.
The teen "didn't have access to any real weapons," and told deputies the post was meant as a joke, Bobo said.
The boy was arrested on a charge of disturbing schools.
