UPDATE (5:57 p.m.) : The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has arrested an 11-year-old middle school student in connection with threats to local schools, News 5 has learned.
The ECSO charged the student with written or electronic threats to conduct a mass shooting, a second-degree felony, according to officials.
“Sheriff Simmons wants the community to know that the ‘Safety of our students is a top priority,'” an ECSO news release said.
“The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office takes all threats seriously and would like to extend special thanks to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Escambia County School District for their assistance in the ongoing investigation, which may lead to additional arrests.”
PREVIOUS REPORTING
ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. ( WKRG ) — Many Escambia County students walked in and saw heightened security at their schools on Friday, following a potential social media threat.
‘Major concern’: Walton County Sheriff’s Office investigating after deputy shoots, kills dog “I believe it originated on Instagram and it was a picture of a gun and making threats of doing things on our campuses as far as violence, gun violence on our campus,” Keith Leonard, Superintendent of Escambia County Public School said.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deemed the threat to be not credible, saying that the photo circulating was an old photo and had been used in threatening posts against other districts.
“It is unacceptable what’s happening all throughout our school district and all throughout the country,” Leonard said.
The district is urging parents to have conversations with their students about this type of behavior and to monitor their social media accounts.
“When they see something they say something but we need every parent every guardian to be involved to that extent with their student,” Leonard said.
Victim addresses man who terrorized her in Pensacola Beach: ‘I’m strong. You didn’t break me’ The incident is still under investigation and the district says there will be serious consequences for whoever was involved.
“We’re going to take every threat seriously and if our law enforcement partners can figure out who made that post, we’re gonna press charges and we hope for the severest punishment that can be rendered is done,” Leonard said.
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