Deputies: Hillsborough teens claim school shooting threat at Bloomingdale High was meant 'to be funny'
Snapchat screenshots, provided by HCSO
BRANDON, Fla. - Two 14-year-olds were arrested after sharing Snapchat images of guns and threatening violence at Bloomingdale High School, deputies said Tuesday, adding that the teen suspects claimed they were joking.
According to investigators, the social media posts were shared between May 11 and May 13. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office tracked down the source of the posts and located both teens, who confessed to deputies, they said.
The agency provided examples of the messages:
"5-15-23 muhuahahahahahahaga dis day is gonna be new 9-11-01 hahahahahahahaahavah ya'll [redacted] gon die."
"Ya'll [redacted] pa attention me [redacted] and [redacted] jus bought 3 mk47's we're gonna aim for Bloomingdale high Monday at 8:30 am if I get hurt [redacted] is gonna be my back up shooter we're aiming for 14 years olds."
Snapchat screenshots, provided by HCSO
When asked why the posts were made, deputies said the young suspects claimed they were a "joke and to be funny." The teens are in middle school.
"Deputies do not know why the teens focused their comments on that school," according to a media release from the agency. "[Deputies do] not believe the teens had access to firearms. We believe they were using stock images in the Snapchat posts."
Both face charges of written or electronic threats to conduct a mass shooting or act of terrorism.
The sheriff's office asks anyone who sees or hears something suspicious to report it immediately by calling 911 or contacting Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay at 1-800-873-8477.