Broome freshman charged after threatening post on social media
Broome freshman charged after threatening post on social media
Zach Fox
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A Broome High School freshman was charged with disturbing schools Thursday after a post on Snapchat warned of a “round two of Florida.”
Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Lt. Kevin Bobo said in a statement that deputies were alerted to a social media threat Wednesday night from the parent of a Broome High student. Additional Spartanburg County deputies were on campus Thursday out of an abundance of caution.
A Snapchat photo of a white juvenile student wearing a mask and holding an assault rifle was shown to the parent by his daughter, Bobo said in the statement. He said the photo was captioned with “the words of round two of Florida tomorrow” (Thursday).
Bobo said when interviewed by deputies, the suspect told them the post was intended as a joke.
“A child may think it’s a sick joke but we take everything very seriously,” said Sherri Horton, public information coordinator with Spartanburg District 3. “Whether a child considers it a joke or not, the safety of our staff and students is paramount.”
The threat came less than 24 hours after a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School left 17 dead and more than a dozen injured.
The gunman, identified as Nikolas Cruz, was a former student at the school. The Associated Press reported Cruz started firing outside the school before shooting scores of people inside, resulting in the deadliest school shooting since the Newtown, Conn. attack in 2012.
Bobo said the suspect’s parents consented to a search of their home.
The mask and gun from the photo were found, and the rifle was determined to be an Airsoft pellet gun, Bobo said.
“The mask and weapon were recovered, the authentic looking assault weapon was in fact an Airsoft rifle, and the suspect didn’t have access to any real weapons,” Bobo said.
The timing of the threat wasn’t lost on the District 3 community, Horton said. The fact the threat mentioned the shooting in Florida made the situation more serious, she said.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the district down in Florida,” she said. “Obviously, that’s everyone’s worst nightmare.”
Since the suspect in the incident is a minor, their name isn’t being released at this time.
“The district would like to commend the student who came forward with information,” District 3 Superintendent Kenny Blackwood said in a statement. “It is this kind of courage to speak out that can and will prevent tragedies.”
District 3 officials, students and parents expressed gratitude to Spartanburg County deputies for investigating the threat quickly and preventing harm being done to anyone, Horton said.
“Before I woke up this morning, everything was already handled,” she said. “As soon as the Sheriff’s (Office) had it, they acted on it.”
The student has been taken to the Department of Juvenile Justice facility in Greenville, Bobo said.
Deputies: Broome high student arrested after Snapchat threat 'Round 2 of Florida tomorrow'
Deputies: Broome high student arrested after Snapchat threat 'Round 2 of Florida tomorrow'
SPARTANBURG, SC (FOX Carolina) -
A Broome High School student was arrested after a threat was made via social media, a school district spokesperson said Thursday.
Spartanburg School District Three spokesperson Sherri Horton said officials received an anonymous tip from a student, on Thursday about a threat to the “safety of the students and staff of Broome High School.
The threat was made via Snapchat.
An investigation was launched and Horton said the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Broome High School ninth grade student.
Deputies said they were called to a home where a parent reported the threat after a child had shown him the Snapchat post. Deputies said the post showed a juvenile male wearing a partial mask holding an apparent assault rifle with the caption "Round 2 of Florida tomorrow."
The message was released after the massacre at a Florida high school killing 17 victims.
The parent and the child were able to identify the student in the photo and deputies said they then went to the suspect's house, where the suspect said the post was only a joke.
"After informing the suspect and his parents of the law violation, the suspect stated his Snapchat post was just intended as a joke, and that he didn’t have any serious intentions," Lt. Kevin Bobo stated.
Bobo said the parents allowed deputies to search the home and they located both the mask and the weapon, which turned out to be a pellet gun. Deputies said the suspect did not have access to any real firearms.
The suspect, whose name will not be released due to his age, was charged with disturbing schools and transported to the Department of Juvenile Justice facility in Greenville.
“The safety of our students and staff is of paramount importance,” Horton said in a statement from the school district. “In order to ensure the safety of every student, the District Three Administration and Board of Trustees are providing additional security at the school.”
Superintendent Kenny Blackwood added, “The District would like to commend the student who came forward with information. It is this kind of courage to speak out that can and will prevent tragedies.”
The investigation is ongoing.
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