A 12-year-old girl was arrested and is facing serious charges after posting threats on social media against multiple Broward County Public Schools, authorities reported. The juvenile, who is a student herself, is alleged to have made threats to schools in areas such as Lauderdale Lakes, Lauderhill, Fort Lauderdale, and Sunrise. According to a NBC Miami report, when Broward County Sheriff's detectives confronted her, she confessed to making the threats but claimed that it was supposed to be a joke, without any intention to actually carry out the violence.

The Broward Sheriff's Office emphasized that the statements made on social media, regardless of being intended as jokes, are taken seriously and can to lead to being charged with a felony. This includes threats not only spoken or written but also those made across social networking platforms. The arrested student is expected to face not only criminal charges but also potential punitive measures outlined in the Student Code of Conduct, as elucidated in the report from Local 10 News.

Lauderhill 6-12, one of the targeted institutions, confirmed the threat they received yesterday night was noncredible. Nonetheless, the school's principal noted in an email to parents that any threat influences the school community gravely and that the district will consider the maximum consequences, that might include expulsion, as part of their disciplinary actions. Particularly poignant was the emphasis on the lasting impact of online actions, reminding students of the "lasting footprint with heavy consequences" that such behavior entails, as reported by Local 10 News.

During a school board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Howard Hepburn expressed the district's unwavering position on the matter, stating every threat "is taken seriously and addressed with the utmost urgency," as mentioned in the statement obtained by NBC Miami. He highlighted the disruption and trauma caused by these threats to the students, staff, and families involved. Furthermore, Hepburn underscored the importance of students being mindful of the impact of their words, whether posted or spoken. The incident with the 12-year-old follows closely on the heels of another situation, where a 14-year-old girl was also arrested for similar allegations of making threats via social media against Broward County schools.

According to Carey Codd, Broward Sheriff's Office spokesman, making threats against schools is a high-stakes matter, and he advised the public to take this fact seriously, as noted in the statement released to Local 10 News.