This browser does not support the Video element.
School threats surging since Georgia school shooting
In the aftermath of the deadly school shooting in Georgia earlier this month, law enforcement across Florida is noticing a large increase in "copycat" threats. The latest in the Bay Area came Friday at Newsome High School in Hillsborough County.
LITHIA, Fla. - The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office spent Friday investigating threats that forced Newsome High School into a lockout for several hours.
According to HCSO, Newsome High School entered a lockout due to an anonymous threat, claiming a student was going to shoot a teacher and bring a bomb to campus. The threat was posted to Fortify Florida, a suspicious activity reporting program that allows users to provide information about legitimate threats to law enforcement and school officials.
HCSO's School Threat Assessment Response Team received that tip about the threat at around 8:45 a.m., prompting a large response to the school. Deputies with multiple units responded and systematically maneuvered through the school to ensure the safety of all students and staff, officials said.
About 200 members of the sheriff's office responded to the school and spent several hours searching through buildings, conducting security screenings and working with school administrators to evacuate students.
"The turmoil and trauma experienced today by these students, staff, and parents is unimaginable, and no community should ever have to endure such fear and uncertainty," said Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister.
No weapons or credible threats were uncovered after deputies thoroughly searched the school, according to officials.
Eight total threats regarding Newsome High School were reported to Fortify Florida on Friday, HCSO confirmed. From September 4-12, deputies said they've investigated 111 school-based threats submitted to the platform.
The situation at Newsome was the latest in a spike of bogus school threats in Hillsborough County and across the state. According to Hillsborough Schools Superintendent Van Ayres, the district has seen 181 threats since the September 4 school shooting in Georgia, leading to nine arrests. Threats in other Tampa Bay districts have led to arrests in Pasco, Polk and Sarasota counties.
"The message isn’t getting through," Ayres said. "They’re not understanding when you put something online like this what the consequences are, and they're severe, and it takes it out of our hands. Our law enforcement, our officials take this very seriously."
According to Ayres, since September 4, the Fortify Florida app has seen five times more reports compared to the same time period last year and all have been false threats.
Officials are urging parents to talk with their children about the seriousness of making a school threat and how it can lead to a felony charge.
This browser does not support the Video element.
STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA BAY:
- Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV
- Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines
- Download the SkyTower Radar app
- Sign up for FOX 13’s daily newsletter