Florida police arrest student after video threat to ‘shoot up' a high school
Florida police have arrested a high school student after video emerged of a potential gunman threatening to open fire at a school.
The Sanford Police Department said it received an anonymous tip on Saturday 'regarding a video of an unknown male threatening to shoot up Seminole High School.'
'The video pictured the subject with multiple guns, vests, and other items of concern,' police said in a statement Sunday.
Sanford police and other law enforcement worked to identify the person featured in the video. Their investigations led them to arrest a 17-year-old a day later.
Police said the 17-year-old is enrolled at Elevation High School, which is also in the city of Sanford. He was taken into custody at his home without incident.
He is charged with Intimidation Written/Electronic Threat of Mass Shooting/Terrorism Act.
It is unknown if he has an attorney.
Crediting the 'swift identification and arrest' of the teen to 'the immediate collaboration and dedication of multiple local and federal agencies and organizations,' Sanford Police Chief Cecil Smith said, 'this fast action and team work most likely prevented a tragedy and saved multiple lives.'
Police shared a photo of items taken from the teenager's home, classifying them as, 'extremely realistic Airsoft replicas.' It is not clear if they are the same weapons from the video.
Superintendent of Seminole County Public Schools Serita Beamon expressed her gratitude that the potential threat was taken seriously and acted upon.
'I am so thankful for the collaborative work and relentless dedication of all the agencies involved in bringing this incident to a conclusion. The safety of our students and staff is our highest priority, and we will continue to take any potential threat seriously, and act quickly,' the police statement quoted her as saying.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Buffalo Police investigating threat at Amherst St. Wegmans
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Buffalo Police are investigating a threat that was made to the Wegmans on Amherst Street, a Buffalo Police spokesperson said. There was a heavy police presence at the store on Sunday night, and officials said that the store was evacuated 'out of an abundance of caution.' The investigation is ongoing at this time. This is a developing story, and we will update as more information becomes available. *** Mark Ludwiczak joined the News 4 team in 2024. He is a veteran journalist with two decades of experience in Buffalo. You can follow him online at @marklud12. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Yahoo
Three Boston minors charged after prank threat sends Mass. high school into lockdown
Three minors from Boston are facing charges in connection with making a prank threatening phone call that sent Billerica Memorial High School into lockdown on Thursday, Billerica police announced Friday. Police began investigating a threatening phone call made to the high school around 1 p.m. on Thursday, police said in a press release. In accordance with established procedures, the school was put on lockdown. Students were dismissed early as officers conducted an initial threat assessment, which eventually concluded that the threat was unfounded, police said. Meanwhile, police increased their presence at all schools across the town. Police soon identified three minors from Boston's Charlestown neighborhood as being responsible for the threatening phone call, police said. They quickly determined that none of the minors had access to weapons or the ability to act on the threat. The minors are facing charges in juvenile court in connection with the incident, police said. 'It's unfortunate that this happened, but I am pleased to report that we have identified the juveniles behind this threatening call and determined that this was an attempted prank gone wrong,' Police Chief Roy Frost said in the release. 'At no time were our students or our community in danger.' Man arrested in connection with threatening to shoot people at large party in Boston Mass. man who supplied gang with 'particularly dangerous' drugs began drinking, smoking at 13 How pink heart shaped fentanyl led to Mass. father's 18-year prison sentence Springfield man sentenced to life in prison for grisly homicide, carjacking 'Yes, I stabbed him': Woman paroled after fatal Christmas week stabbing amid abuse claims Read the original article on MassLive.
CNN
2 days ago
- CNN
Three Rivers Mall, Kelso: Teen arrested in alleged mass shooting plot at a Washington state mall, officials say
Source: CNN An Oregon teen has been arrested in connection with an alleged mass shooting plot targeting the Three Rivers Mall in Kelso, in southwestern Washington, officials said. The suspect, whose identity has not been disclosed due to his age, allegedly planned to detonate a chlorine bomb to create chaos and panic before shooting fleeing patrons exiting a movie theater, the FBI Portland Field Office said in a statement on Thursday. The Columbia County, Oregon, Sheriff's Office arrested the suspect on May 22, the FBI said. Kelso is approximately 50 miles north of Portland, Oregon. The suspect currently faces charges of attempted murder in the second degree, attempted assault in the first degree, two counts of unlawful use of a weapon, tampering with physical evidence, disorderly conduct and two counts of unlawful possession of firearms, according to the Columbia County district attorney and the charging document. 'This plot was as serious as it gets,' FBI Portland Special Agent in Charge Doug Olson said in the statement. 'An alarming amount of indicators of a cogent path to violence were met – at no point in this plan did it seem like the suspect wouldn't follow through with their plans,' the statement said. The suspect will be held in custody until a June 20 hearing, Columbia County District Attorney Joshua Pond told CNN Friday evening. 'The hope is that certain plans can be developed and put in place to ensure his safety and well-being, as well as that of the community,' said Pond. The plot was reported as a tip to the FBI on May 19 and the suspect was identified the following day. According to authorities, the juvenile, a resident of Columbia County, subscribed to a 'nihilistic violent extremist ideology' and shared his plans in online chats. Guy Edward Bartkus, the man accused of bombing a Palm Springs fertility clinic last month, also had nihilistic ideations, FBI officials said at the time. According to FBI research of past violent actors, nihilistic ideation refers to a 'preoccupation with themes of violence, hopelessness, despair, pessimism, hatred, isolation, loneliness, or an 'end-of-the-world' philosophy,' said retired senior FBI profiler Dr. Mary Ellen O'Toole. 'Nihilistic ideation is a very pessimistic view of the world.' The teen is 14 years old and had some changes to his schooling 'in the last few months,' according to Columbia County District Attorney Joshua Pond and the charging document in the case. Officials placed the suspect under court-authorized surveillance before the arrest, citing evidence of both intent and means to carry out the attack. The FBI said the plan included details on the use of an improvised explosive device, a specific route through the mall, and a sequence of actions culminating in the suspect's planned suicide at the mall. In a search of the suspect's home, law enforcement later seized three firearms, multiple boxes of various types of ammunition, four knives, some clothing that the FBI believes 'he was intent to wear for the attack,' and five digital devices, Olson said. Authorities are urging the public to report suspicious behavior and encouraging parents 'to engage with their children and have an open dialogue about their online activity.' See Full Web Article
