A late-night bomb threat text sent to a Middleton High School student had Tampa detectives working through the early morning hours and ended with a 15-year-old in handcuffs at a Riverview home, police said. The Tampa Police Bomb Squad swept the Middleton campus before anyone arrived for class, and the school day went ahead on schedule. Officers reported that the arrest was made without incident.
According to Tampa Free Press, a current Middleton student told investigators he got a text just after midnight that read “Middleton bomb” and “Tomorrow.” Detectives traced the message to an acquaintance, identified as Daniel Ahorrio, who was taken into custody at his Riverview home at 10:22 a.m. and transported to the Juvenile Assessment Center. The Tampa Free Press report was published April 9, 2026 and notes the texts arrived on April 9; the article’s body lists 2024, which appears to be a typographical error in that report.
Charges and legal context
Police say Ahorrio faces a felony count of making a written or electronic threat to conduct a mass shooting or act of terrorism. Florida’s law on written or electronic threats, which is codified in Florida Statutes section 836.10, covers threats to commit mass violence and is treated as a serious felony offense in many cases, with adult penalties that can include up to 15 years in prison. Because Ahorrio is a juvenile, the case was routed to the Juvenile Assessment Center, and any formal filing will be decided by the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office.
Investigation and response
Chief Lee Bercaw did not mince words about how the department views threats like this. “Threatening the safety of a school is not a joke; it is a felony,” he said, in comments reported by Tampa Free Press. Tampa police say detectives worked overnight to track down the sender of the text and that Ahorrio’s arrest in Riverview occurred without incident. The department reiterated its zero tolerance stance on threats that disrupt schools and said investigative work will continue as needed.
What parents should know
Officials say the Bomb Squad sweep was finished before students and staff arrived on campus, and Middleton opened on time with a normal schedule. The school is listed on the Hillsborough County Public Schools site, and families looking for more information can find office contacts on the district’s page for Middleton High School. Tampa police also asked anyone with information related to the texts or the ongoing investigation to get in touch with detectives.
