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Teenager arrested after threatening Apopka High School during live stream event, police say

Tips for parents dealing with fake threats of school shootings

Posting threats about school shootings, mass shootings, or threats against a school is no joke. Several middle and high school students in Florida were arrested and charged this week for allegedly making a threat online. Law enforcement isn't laughing about it. FOX 35 speaks with an expert about how parents can immediately explain to their children the seriousness of their social media posts, what they're saying, and how to intervene.

APOPKA, Florida – Apopka Police were made aware of a threat against Apopka High School posted in chat during a live-streamed pep rally. As a precautionary measure, the school was placed on lockdown.

With assistance from Orange County Public Schools District police and the FBI, authorities were able to identify and arrest a 15-year-old Apopka resident. The teen is charged with a felony count of making a written or electronic threat to commit murder, physical injury, or a mass shooting or act of terrorism, and a misdemeanor count of disrupting a school function.

“The Apopka Police Department takes threats of violence seriously and does not tolerate this behavior,” said Deputy Chief Jerome Miller.

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This is the latest threat to a school among hundreds reported across Central Florida since the start of the school year.

The Volusia County Sheriff's Office says more than 200 threats have been made this school year alone. Sheriff Mike Chitwood said his agency has spent nearly $21,000 in recent days investigating fake threats against schools on social media.

“This is completely out of control,” he said during a press conference last week. “Parents, you don't want to raise your children, I'm going to start raising them. Every time we arrest someone, your child's photo will be published. And if I could, I would take your child out as the perpetrator so everyone can see what your child is up to.”

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