11-year-old girl in Florida arrested for making school shooting threat on Instagram
An 11-year-old girl is under arrest after the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office said she posted on social media, threatening to carry out a school shooting.
The sheriff’s office said on its Facebook page at approximately 1:30 p.m. Wednesday that earlier that day, the girl, who is in sixth grade at Southern Oaks Middle School, located at 5500 Northeast St. James Drive in Port St. Lucie, was arrested for posting a threat on Instagram “hinting at a school shooting.” The school was not closed.
Response from schools and law enforcement
School staff and officers immediately investigated the incident, identified the 11-year-old girl, searched her, and determined the threat was not credible.
“However, her actions caused panic, and threats like this are against the law,” the sheriff’s office wrote on Facebook.
In a statement, Sheriff Keith Pearson said the girl was arrested and faces “severe disciplinary consequences, which may include expulsion.”
“This outcome highlights the strong working relationships between the school district, staff, students, and our officers, who are on all school campuses to ensure the safety of our students,” the sheriff’s office said on Facebook. “We take all threats seriously, whether in person or online. The message is simple: if you see something, say something.”
Sheriff Pearson spoke about the girl’s arrest and the post she made
“Ultimately, it was said there would be a shooting at Southern Oaks Middle School,” Pearson stated. “We were able to identify the young individual very quickly, isolate them, control the situation, and ensure there were no weapons on campus, which there were not.”
In a message to parents and guardians at approximately 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Southern Oaks Middle School Principal Henry Sanabria thanked students who “saw something and said something,” and added that the Instagram post “threatened to harm our school.”
Here is Sanabria’s full message:
“Southern Oaks Middle School parents and guardians: This is Principal Sanabria with an important message.
Let me begin by thanking the students who ‘saw something and said something.’ Based on their reports, our law enforcement officers investigated a social media post that threatened to harm our school. Working together with our law enforcement partners, the school administration was able to identify the source of the social media post.
The student responsible for making the post will be held accountable, which may include expulsion and arrest.
Safety is a priority for us, and we will remain vigilant in monitoring our campus.
It is up to all of us to report any concerns or suspicious activity immediately to police, administrators, or teachers.
Parents, take this opportunity to talk with your children about the responsible use of social media. By working together, we can maintain a safe and secure environment where we can focus on teaching and learning.”
Parents react
“It made my heart sink. Just thinking about the shooting that just happened at a school, it’s like this could be happening at my child’s school right now,” said Lauren Stevens, mother of a sixth-grade student at Southern Oaks Middle School.
She said it “isn’t surprising because I’ve been monitoring all the social media my kids try to use, and it’s terrifying right now.”
“Unfortunately, someone should have talked to her when she was 11 years old,” commented Lisa Aiello, the girl’s mother. “You can’t joke about that kind of thing.”
Aiello feels relieved by the false alarm but says parents must step in.
“I always think it all starts at home, with the parents,” Aiello said. “I think we should always make our children aware of what’s happening, especially in today’s society. It’s a scary place.”
A spokesperson for St. Lucie Public Schools said school administrators will recommend the girl be expelled. She now faces second-degree felony charges.
Under Florida law, it is a second-degree felony to make “written or electronic threats to kill, do bodily harm, or conduct a mass shooting.” Read the law here.
Students, parents, school employees, and other community members are urged to report any suspicious activity involving local schools through the free Fortify Florida app.
Image: Wflx
