Teen Arrested After Online School Shooting Threat in Manatee County
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A high school freshman has been arrested in Bradenton after police said he made threats online of a mass school shooting. On Thursday, the Manatee County Sheriff's Office and Bradenton police said they were made aware of multiple threats being shared on social media about alleged school shootings planned for Friday at several Manatee County schools. An investigation led authorities to a 15-year-old male who police said identified himself as the person who stated on the online platform Snapchat that he was going to commit a school shooting. Authorities did not name any specific schools. Evidence was found on his cellphone, and he admitted to making threats as a joke.
A search was conducted, and no weapons were found. He was arrested and transported to the Juvenile Detention Center. Deputies are still investigating other social media posts. As a precaution, additional deputies will be at various schools before and during the school day today. Sheriff Ricks Wells said, "Our student's safety is always our highest priority, and these threats are taken very seriously.
We will work tirelessly to track down the people who make these threats. This is never a joking matter! " In accordance with Spectrum Bay News 9’s crime guidelines, the suspect is not being identified due to his being a minor.