Latest news with #RickardsHighSchool
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
LCSO: Rickards student arrested for Instagram mass shooting threat
Just days before the end of the school year, a student at Rickards High School was arrested May 19 after allegedly posting a video on Instagram threatening a mass shooting at the school, according to the Leon County Sheriff's Office. A tip about the video was received on May 15. The student, whose identity has not been released due to their juvenile status, has been charged with Written or Electronic Threats to Kill or Conduct a Mass Shooting. The student was taken into custody and transported to the Juvenile Assessment Center. 'The Leon County Sheriff's Office, in coordination with Leon County Schools, treats all threats toward schools with the highest level of concern,' the agency said in a statement. 'We remain committed to investigating any potential threats and ensuring the safety of students and staff.' Authorities emphasized that all threats are taken seriously, regardless of their perceived credibility, and urged parents and guardians to speak with their children about the severe consequences of making such statements — even as jokes. The Sheriff's Office also reminded the community about the availability of the FortifyFL app, which allows students and residents to anonymously report suspicious activity. Tips can also be made by calling 850-922-KIDS. The arrest is the second at Rickards in less than two weeks. A 17-year-old student was arrested and charged with battery on a school official on May 7. The teen was involved in a verbal altercation in the school's courtyard which prompted school staff to intervene, including a security guard and administrator. The student refused to go to the front office when instructed by the administrator. After the administrator attempted to escort her, the student resisted and began to punch the school official in the face repeatedly, according to LCSO. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: LCSO: Rickards student arrested for Instagram mass shooting threat
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
LCSO: Clash over Chromebook ends in battery charge for Rickards High School teen
After arguing over the return of a laptop, a Rickards High School senior has been arrested on a charge of battery on a school official, according to the Leon County Sheriff's Office. It marks the second assault arrest at the school this month, and the second arrest of a Rickards student in a week. The student, scheduled to participate in the school's graduation ceremony at 7 p.m. May 21, was instead taken to the Leon County Detention Facility. Superintendent Rocky Hanna said he had no knowledge of the arrest when asked about it by a reporter around 5 p.m., just as he was leaving a graduation ceremony at Raa Middle School. The 18-year-old student was in a dispute with a school staff member regarding the return of one of the school's Chromebooks, the laptop computers students use to complete school assignments, according to the Sheriff's Office. When told to leave, the student refused, physically blocked the doorway and allegedly struck the employee in the chest multiple times. Under state law, battery on a school official is a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison. Days earlier, on May 19, a Rickards student was arrested by the Leon County Sheriff's Office after allegedly posting a video on Instagram threatening a mass shooting at the 65-year-old high school. On May 7, a 17-year-old Rickards student was arrested for battery on a school official after she allegedly punched an employee in the face multiple times. Alaijah Brown covers children & families for the Tallahassee Democrat. She can be reached at ABrown1@ Follow her on Twitter/X: @AlaijahBrown3. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Rickards rocked by arrests: Third student charged in last few weeks
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
LCSO: Rickards student arrested for Instagram mass shooting threat
Just days before the end of the school year, a student at Rickards High School was arrested May 19 after allegedly posting a video on Instagram threatening a mass shooting at the school, according to the Leon County Sheriff's Office. A tip about the video was received on May 15. The student, whose identity has not been released due to their juvenile status, has been charged with Written or Electronic Threats to Kill or Conduct a Mass Shooting. The student was taken into custody and transported to the Juvenile Assessment Center. 'The Leon County Sheriff's Office, in coordination with Leon County Schools, treats all threats toward schools with the highest level of concern,' the agency said in a statement. 'We remain committed to investigating any potential threats and ensuring the safety of students and staff.' Authorities emphasized that all threats are taken seriously, regardless of their perceived credibility, and urged parents and guardians to speak with their children about the severe consequences of making such statements — even as jokes. The Sheriff's Office also reminded the community about the availability of the FortifyFL app, which allows students and residents to anonymously report suspicious activity. Tips can also be made by calling 850-922-KIDS. The arrest is the second at Rickards in less than two weeks. A 17-year-old student was arrested and charged with battery on a school official on May 7. The teen was involved in a verbal altercation in the school's courtyard which prompted school staff to intervene, including a security guard and administrator. The student refused to go to the front office when instructed by the administrator. After the administrator attempted to escort her, the student resisted and began to punch the school official in the face repeatedly, according to LCSO. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: LCSO: Rickards student arrested for Instagram mass shooting threat
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'Fearless': Tallahassee teen, former Rickards cheerleader remembered for determination
"She was just a light," Dominique Moore said of her youngest daughter Tatiyana Grace Gushiniere-Richardson, a 17-year-old with big dreams and an even bigger personality. After attending Rickards High School, where she was also a varsity cheerleader, Tatiyana finished school early by obtaining her GED at 16 years old in St. Cloud, Florida. She was ready to walk into a new phase of life: college. But before she could step into that next chapter, tragedy struck. Tatiyana died in a car crash late Thursday night after she struck a tree while heading home on Woodville Highway after her shift at Zaxby's. "Tatiyana was a big presence in our family, every second of every hour of every day," Moore said. "Aside from being sassy she was so smart and so giving." Moore said she is "working hard at being OK" in an emotional interview with the Tallahassee Democrat. "I was a single parent for a long time but I'm so grateful that I was single, because she got all my attention and we did so many things together and that's a solace that I have in this moment," Moore said. "Those 17 years were so full, there was more to do, but they were full." Tatiyana loved the ocean, her family, traveling, cheerleading – and, of course, like any other teenage girl, she loved shopping. Her favorite color was purple, the color of royalty, but sometimes she compromised her color of choice to match with her mom. Her mentor, Janay White, founder of Tallahassee-based Girls 2 D.I.V.A.S., said Tatiyana and her mom matched more than just colors, they had mirroring spirits. The organization, which draws on the acronym for driven, initiative, virtuous, astounding, and successful, provides mentorship, tutoring, and workshops in awareness, goal setting, and strength building for girls in in the program. "What I absolutely loved about her was that she was a true servant much like her mom," White said. "When she walked into any room or function, she was always ready to serve." A constant reminder of Tatiyana's spirit in her home, Moore said, is her dog Lucy, a yorkie with the same spunk personality as her owner. "I'm struggling just looking at her because the dog seems so sad," Moore said. "Lucy was her favorite being." But it's not just Lucy missing Tatiyana; her whole family is, including her three older sisters. Moore said it truly took a village raising Tatiyana, and that village described her as a force of nature that was felt across households. Tatiyana's aunt and uncle Littida and Larry Thomas claimed Tatiyana as one of their own. During her junior year of high school, she lived with her aunt and uncle in St. Cloud, Florida. They jokingly said that for six months, Tatiyana turned their home upside down. "We just wanted to make sure we were giving Tatiyana the support she needed," Littida Thomas said. "To share just one thing about Tatiyana is a disservice to who she was because she was such a big personality." At St. Cloud High School, Tatiyana ran track, and her uncle said her approach to the competitive sport was her approach to life. "Tatiyana wasn't worried about beating anyone else, she wasn't worried about finishing first, she just wanted to make sure she was doing better than she did before, she was just running against the clock. She was absolutely fearless in whatever she approached," Larry Thomas said. Inspired by her mother, who graduated from Florida A&M University at 44 years old with her bachelor's degree in social work, Tatiyana wanted to follow in her footsteps and attend FAMU in the fall even though she was still undecided on a major. "I will continue to say her name, and I will continue to love her. I would like to tell her that I will love her forever and I am going to be OK," Moore said. "Continuing to love her and knowing she loved me is going to make me stronger." Funeral arrangements for Tatiyana are set for Saturday, March 22, at Philadelphia Primitive Baptist Church, at 840 W Dunn St. Moore is looking for help with service arrangements and accepting financial donations to cover the costs amounting to $20,000. Those looking to donate can do so at "Your light will continue to shine through all of us who had the honor of knowing you," the online fundraiser reads. "Rest easy, sweet angel. We love you forever." Alaijah Brown covers children & families for the Tallahassee Democrat. She can be reached at ABrown1@ Follow her on Twitter/X: @AlaijahBrown3. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee family mourns teen, Rickards cheerleader after car crash
