An 18-year-old cosmetology student at the Aveda Institute in Clearwater was arrested on Jan. 5 after posting a Snapchat story that read, “i'm abt to shoot up this school.” The post, followed by additional video clips, has become another stark reminder of how quickly social media posts can ping law enforcement when they look like threats.
Deputies arrested the student, identified as Addison Gass, and charged her with one count of written threats to kill or conduct a mass shooting, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. The agency said Gass admitted she posted the image after a dispute over a dress-code violation at the school.
How A Snapchat Post Triggered A Rapid Response
Bodycam footage and contemporaneous reporting indicate deputies coordinated quietly with Aveda staff to locate and remove the student without alarming classmates. Inquisitr reports that deputies told staff Snapchat had flagged the post, then issued an emergency disclosure to the FBI, which relayed the alert to local investigators. According to that reporting, deputies found Gass in a classroom, discovered she was unarmed, and escorted her out while investigators seized her phone for forensic review.
The Felony Weight Of A ‘Joke’ In Florida Law
Under Florida law, sending a writing or electronic record that threatens to kill or conduct a mass shooting is a second-degree felony under Florida Statute 836.10. Legal summaries, including one from Leppard Law, note that the offense can carry penalties under state guidelines that include up to 15 years in prison and other sanctions.
Local reporting says Gass was booked into the Pinellas County Jail that afternoon and now faces a pending felony case in county court. The arrest and charge echo the sheriff's repeated warning that any online post that appears to threaten violence will be treated as the real thing by investigators, according to Tampa Bay Beacons.
Not Clearwater’s First Social Media Scare
Pinellas County has repeatedly investigated and charged students over threatening posts or messages in recent years, a pattern local outlets have tracked. Prior cases show deputies often treat online threats as criminal matters even when suspects later claim they were venting or joking, according to coverage from Patch.
The Aveda Institute incident highlights how a moment of online venting that crosses into threatening language can carry serious legal and personal fallout. The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said, “the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office remains committed to keeping our schools, our children, and our community safe.” Anyone with information about threats is urged to contact the sheriff's office or use the FortifyFL reporting portal, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.
