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.
Less than a month ago, an Indiana teen was accused of plotting a Valentine's Day school shooting inspired by the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
That threat was also first flagged by an anonymous tip – a call to the Sandy Hook tip line – which led authorities to online messages in which the 18-year-old suspect allegedly described planning 'Parkland part two' for 'a year,' according to authorities. The FBI was able to trace the IP address associated with the messages to the teen suspect.
Four school shootings have been carried out in the US as of February 7 this year, according to CNN's analysis of events reported by the Gun Violence Archive, Education Week and Everytown for Gun Safety. Two were on K-12 school grounds, and two were on college campuses. The shootings left one person dead and at least five other victims injured.
CNN's Lex Harvey, Holly Yan and Rebekah Riess contributed to this report.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial recap: Ex-girlfriend 'Jane' faces more cross-examination, says she initiated some 'hotel nights'
The trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs continued Wednesday in Manhattan federal court, with 'Jane' — a pseudonym for an alleged victim and ex-girlfriend of Combs — returning to the witness stand for a fifth day of testimony in the high-profile sex trafficking case. Federal prosecutors say that for decades, Combs abused, threatened and coerced women to participate in drug-fueled marathon sexual encounters called 'freak offs' and used his business empire, along with guns, kidnapping and arson, to conceal his crimes. In direct testimony, Jane tearfully recounted the 'freak offs'— which she called 'hotel nights' — telling the court that she felt obligated to 'perform' sex acts for Combs with other men because he was paying her rent. She also testified about a brutal assault she endured before Combs ordered her to cover up her injuries and take ecstasy for an impromptu 'hotel night.' Facing more cross-examination by the defense on Wednesday, Jane told the court that she initiated some of the encounters, including one in which she hired two men. She appeared emotional while reading texts she sent to Combs in 2023, calling him a 'blessing' and saying she was grateful that he was taking care of her financially. Combs's defense team said it will finish Jane's cross-examination Thursday morning. The 55-year-old hip-hop mogul is facing five criminal counts: one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he could face life in prison. Here are some key takeaways from Wednesday's testimony culled from various reporters and news organizations in the courtroom, including CNN, NBC News and the Washington Post. Before Jane's testimony got underway, Judge Arun Subramanian listened to arguments over a prosecution request to dismiss one of the jurors for reasons that have not yet been made public. Prosecutor Maurene Comey told Subramanian that the government was initially reluctant to ask for the removal of juror no. 6, but has since concluded the juror appears to have shown 'a lack of candor with the court that raises serious issues.' Defense attorney Alexandra Shapiro objected, saying it was a 'thinly veiled effort to dismiss a Black juror.' Subramanian said he would handle the issue on Thursday after hearing in writing from both sides. Under cross-examination by the defense, Jane acknowledged that she once threatened to not participate in a 'hotel night' with Combs for Valentine's Day 2022 after she saw social media posts of him on vacation with another woman. She demanded that he leave the vacation a day early and return to her. When he agreed, she planned the 'hotel night,' decorating the room with rose petals and hiring two male entertainers to have sex with her while Combs watched. Jane testified that it was her idea to have the two men in the room with her at the same time. 'Yes, that was my suggestion,' Jane said in court, adding that Combs was 'excited about that.' In late August 2022, Jane testified that she told Combs how much she appreciated the sexual encounters after a hotel night with him and a sex worker named Paul. Jane texted Combs that she's 'having so much fun' and she would 'never take this for granted and will always make sure you are taken care of.' Big picture: The defense is seeking to refute the prosecution's claims that the alleged victims were coerced by Combs into participating in the marathon sexual encounters by showing they were willing participants. Having Jane acknowledge that she arranged a 'hotel night' with two men, and later saying she was having 'fun' is part of that effort. On the witness stand, Jane read text messages she sent to Combs in April 2023 after a hotel night, right around the time she moved into a rented Los Angeles home, which Combs is currently paying for. 'The fact that you are the reason for my child's joy is a feeling inside me that I can't explain,' Jane read, tearing up. 'You are truly a blessing in my life, I have never had a man take care of me like you do,' Jane continued. 'You are my lover, my partner, my boyfriend,' she wrote.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Man convicted of fraud for posing as flight attendant to fly for free
(CNN) – A man accused of falsely posing as a flight attendant to reap dozens of free flights has been convicted of wire fraud and fraudulently entering the secure area of an airport. Tiron Alexander, 35, was found guilty by a federal jury after taking 34 free flights that he obtained by pretending to be a flight attendant or a pilot, the U.S. District Attorney in Southern Florida said in a news release Tuesday. He was also convicted of entering the secure area at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport under false pretenses, authorities said. The man was employed by an unidentified airline based in Dallas beginning in 2015, court documents said, but not as a pilot or a flight attendant. The scheme to obtain free tickets, for a Florida-based airline, began in 2018 and continued until 2024, according to court documents. Alexander was indicted on these charges in Florida. He was arrested in California in February. The tickets Alexander secured are reserved for flight attendants and pilots. Free flights are among the top perks of working as a pilot or flight attendant. The benefit is based on seniority and tenure. Using the airlines' online ticketing systems, Alexander claimed to have worked intermittently for seven different carriers, according to the prosecutors' news release. He was convicted of four counts of wire fraud and one count of falsely entering the airport's secure area. Alexander was represented by attorneys in the public defender's office in Miami. CNN has reached out to them for comment. Authorities allege Alexander had booked more than 100 flights by falsely posing as a flight attendant. Alexander will be sentenced in August. He faces up to 20 years in prison for the wire fraud counts and up to 10 years for entering the airport's secure area, according to the indictment.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial recap: Ex-girlfriend ‘Jane' faces more cross examination, says she initiated some ‘hotel nights'
The trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs continued Wednesday in Manhattan federal court, with 'Jane' — a pseudonym for an alleged victim and ex-girlfriend of Combs — returning to the witness stand for a fifth day of testimony in the high-profile sex trafficking case. Federal prosecutors say that for decades, Combs abused, threatened and coerced women to participate in drug-fueled marathon sexual encounters called "freak offs" and used his business empire, along with guns, kidnapping and arson, to conceal his crimes. In direct testimony, Jane tearfully recounted the 'freak offs'— which she called 'hotel nights' — telling the court that she felt obligated to 'perform' sex acts for Combs with other men because he was paying her rent. She also testified about a brutal assault she endured before Combs ordered her to cover up her injuries and take ecstasy for an impromptu 'hotel night.' Facing more cross-examination by the defense on Wednesday, Jane told the court that she initiated some of the encounters, including one in which she hired two men. She appeared emotional while reading texts she sent to Combs in 2023, calling him a 'blessing' and saying she was grateful that he was taking care of her financially. Combs's defense team said they'll finish Jane's cross-examination Thursday morning. The 55-year-old hip-hop mogul is facing five criminal counts: one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he could face life in prison. Here are some key takeaways from Wednesday's testimony culled from various reporters and news organizations in the courtroom, including CNN, NBC News, and the Washington Post. Before Jane's testimony got underway, Judge Arun Subramanian listened to arguments over a prosecution request to dismiss one of the jurors for reasons that have not yet been made public. Prosecutor Maurene Comey told Subramanian that the government was initially reluctant to ask for the removal of juror no. 6, but has since concluded the juror appears to have shown 'a lack of candor with the court that raises serious issues.' Defense attorney Alexandra Shapiro objected, saying it was a 'thinly veiled effort to dismiss a Black juror.' Subramanian said he would handle the issue on Thursday after hearing in writing from both sides. Under cross-examination by the defense, Jane acknowledged that she once threatened to not participate in a 'hotel night' with Combs for Valentine's Day 2022 after she saw social media posts of him on vacation with another woman. She demanded that he leave the vacation a day early and return to her. When he agreed, she planned the 'hotel night,' decorating the room with rose petals and hiring two male entertainers to have sex with her while Combs watched. Jane testified that it was her idea to have the two men in the room with her at the same time. 'Yes, that was my suggestion,' Jane said in court, adding that Combs was 'excited about that.' In late August 2022, Jane testified that she told Combs how much she appreciated the sexual encounters after a hotel night with him and a sex worker named Paul. Jane texted Combs that she's 'having so much fun' and she would 'never take this for granted and will always make sure you are taken care of.' Big picture: The defense is seeking to refute the prosecution's claims that the alleged victims were coerced by Combs into participating in the marathon sexual encounters by showing they were willing participants. Having Jane acknowledge that she arranged a 'hotel night' with two men, and later saying she was having 'fun' is part of that effort. On the witness stand, Jane read text messages she sent to Combs in April 2023 after a hotel night, right around the time she moved into a rented Los Angeles home, which Combs is currently paying for. 'The fact that you are the reason for my child's joy is a feeling inside me that I can't explain,' Jane read, tearing up. 'You are truly a blessing in my life, I have never had a man take care of me like you do,' Jane continued. 'You are my lover, my partner, my boyfriend,' she wrote.
