A 28-year-old man is in custody after bomb threats were called in against two Broward County schools early Wednesday morning, prompting investigations at both campuses before students and staff were confirmed safe. The Broward Sheriff's Office identified the suspect as Christopher Matthew Wilkens, though investigators have not said whether he has any connection to either school.
The threats targeted Pioneer Middle School in Cooper City and Larkdale Elementary School in Lauderhill, according to Local 10 News. Both campuses were cleared to remain on their normal operating schedules following investigations, and district officials confirmed all students and staff remained safe. CBS News Miami also reported the arrest and said the threats came in early Wednesday morning.
Two Agencies, One Coordinated Response
The response involved coordinated efforts between the Broward Sheriff's Office and the Lauderhill Police Department, the outlet's report notes, documenting cooperation in this incident, which involved multiple jurisdictions. Prior Broward cases are described below, but the available material does not establish a broader pattern of threats testing law enforcement's ability to secure campuses without unnecessary panic.
Broward County Public Schools operates a 24/7 Special Investigative Unit for reporting safety threats anonymously and has adjusted its emergency protocols to avoid automatic full campus evacuations for unverified threats, according to the district's own guidance. District leaders have said the changes are meant to minimize academic disruption while law enforcement conducts sweeps of a targeted campus.
What Wilkens Could Face Under Florida Law
The specific charges and penalties Wilkens could face under Florida law were not detailed in the available material.
The available material does not detail restitution for agency costs or a state reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
Part of a Broader Pattern in Broward
The available material does not detail a statewide “It's No Joke” awareness campaign or the agencies involved. It also does not establish the campaign's interpretation of Florida law or whether threats against a school campus, including electronic or social-media threats, are felonies regardless of intent.
Wednesday's arrest is not an isolated case in Broward. In May, Broward Sheriff's Office detectives arrested a 16-year-old accused of 13 hoax bomb threats and swatting calls made across the county between September and November 2025, resulting in 27 felony counts. And in December 2023, a former Broward County Public Schools employee was arrested and held on $1.6 million bond, charged with five counts of making false bomb threats and three counts of written threats against local elementary schools, with investigators alleging the threats were sent from a Fort Lauderdale public library.
Investigators have not disclosed how Wednesday's threats against Pioneer Middle and Larkdale Elementary were communicated, and it remains unclear whether Wilkens has any background connection to either school.
