On Friday, police announced they had detained a 16-year-old from Dania Beach, Florida, on suspicion of making a string of bogus bomb threats against several educational institutions and the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
According to a Broward Sheriff’s Office news release, the adolescent, who has not been publicly identified, allegedly placed the first call to 9-1-1 at 10 a.m., informing an operator that he was “about to do a bombing at South Broward High School.” According to authorities, the school in Broward County, Florida, was then quickly evacuated.
A few minutes later, the suspect allegedly threatened to shoot up South Broward High School and Attucks Middle School, both of which are in Hollywood, Florida, by calling 9-1-1 once more, according to the sheriff’s office. Attucks Middle School was “secured in place as a result,” the agency claimed.
The investigation showed that the teen continued to make false b0mb threats in the hours that followed, disrupting routine activities by calling Coconut Creek High School, Blanche Ely High School, Coral Glades High School, and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, according to the sheriff’s office.
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Investigators checked all locations after receiving the calls, kept an eye on the relevant schools’ security cameras, and ultimately “determined there was no actual threat,” according to the authorities.
Making hoax or fraudulent active shooter reports, or “swatting,” is a worrying practice that has been disrupting school life across the nation, requiring lockdowns, taxing police resources, and spreading panic and confusion among students, parents, and teachers.
Check the below-related tweet:
A 16-year-old from Dania Beach, Florida, was arrested on suspicion of making a series of false reports of bomb threats at several schools and the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, authorities said. https://t.co/QTMeUIInNO
— CNN (@CNN) May 14, 2023
The adolescent was located on Friday after several agencies collaborated and “developed information that led them to the teen, who does not attend any of the schools affected,” according to the sheriff’s office.
According to the news release, the adolescent was detained and sent to the county’s juvenile assessment center for processing. He now faces charges of making written threats to murder, making a false allegation of a b0mb or firearm, and interfering with a school activity.
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