The Broward Sheriff's Office has reported the arrests of two 13-year-old students in separate incidents for making threats against schools on Snapchat. The arrests, made by BSO's Threat Management Unit, followed tips received from the FBI, according to WSVN.
One of the students, a boy from Weston, was apprehended after he posted a threat of a mass shooting targeting Broward County Public Schools' offices in Fort Lauderdale. "None of this stuff is a joking or laughing matter," Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony stated. "If you threaten ... on social media or anywhere else, we are going to track you down and arrest you," as reported by WSVN. This announcement followed the BSO’s renewed focus on school security. The detectives who took the boy into custody at his home did so because he was upset over the district's new cellphone policy.
The other incident involved a girl whose threat on Snapchat was directed at Cooper City High School. Both students now face felony charges for making written threats to kill, cause bodily injury, commit mass shootings, or engage in acts of terrorism. An additional charge of using a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony has been added, in accordance with Florida law.
Addressing the importance of a secure learning environment, BCPS Superintendent Dr. Howard Hepburn said in a statement obtained by WSVN, "We definitely understand the impact that a safe and secure environment has on the academic performance of our students." The school year in Broward County began with active shooter drills, reaffirming the emphasis on preparedness both online and in real life.
Following these arrests, the BSO disclosed they are investigating two additional threats that might lead to further legal action, as per reports shared on the official BSO X account. The school system and local law enforcement agencies continue to remain vigilant in the wake of these events.
