Four students arrested at Yearling Middle School for making written threats

According to the Okeechobee Sheriff's Office, four students were arrested for making written threats to harm or kill.

After a “serious incident” occurred at Yearling Middle School on September 26, a joint threat assessment was initiated by the sheriff’s office and the school district. A chat group containing various threats against others was discovered, which led to the arrest of the four girls.

In a statement posted on Facebook, the sheriff's office urged parents to be aware of their child's online activity.

“This incident highlights a critical issue: the need for parents to be vigilant and responsible for their children's online activities. “The vast majority – an estimated 85-90% – of the problems we encounter in schools are due to unsupervised or poorly monitored use of social media and other online platforms,” the agency said. “Talk to them about the importance of managing their emotions in a healthy way and the serious consequences of online threats. What may seem like a “joke” to them is no laughing matter to us or the broader community.”

All threatened individuals have been notified by the sheriff's office and the school district.

If you have concerns about possible threats or suspicious behavior, we encourage you to report them via the FortifyFL app.

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