A 12-year-old Florida girl accused of making threats to schools, 2nd arrest in 3 days

MIAMI — A 12-year-old girl is accused of making online threats to several Broward County schools, authorities say.

The girl was arrested late Monday night after the Broward Sheriff’s Office caught wind of social media threats to schools in Lauderdale Lakes, Lauderhill, Fort Lauderdale and Sunrise, according to Carey Codd, spokesman for BSO.

When detectives confronted the girl, she confessed and said the threats were a joke, Codd said. Deputies did not identify her but said she lives in Lauderhill.

She was taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center and faces a charge of making written threats to kill/conduct a mass shooting and unlawful use of a two-way communication device, Codd added.

Not the first threat

Broward County schools have received a slew of threats since the start of the school year last month.

On Saturday, a 14-year-old girl was arrested for and accused of making threatening Instagram posts to Broward schools, BSO said. She was also taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center and faces the same charge as the Lauderhill girl.

“We take all incidents involving threats of potential violence at schools very seriously because they create a lot of disruption and fear for kids, parents and staff,” Broward State Attorney Harold F. Pryor said in a Monday release. “Our community knows too well that these incidents can be very, very serious and it is important for us to hold any individual accountable for their conduct.”

Last week, an 11-year-old boy was arrested and accused of making a bomb threat directed at Somerset Academy Key Charter Middle/High School in Deerfield Beach, authorities said. The school was evacuated as a result.

He was charged with one count of false report of a bomb, explosive or weapon of mass destruction, according to BSO.

Under Florida law, whether it is said aloud, written in text, or posted on social media, an individual can be charged with a felony for written threats to kill, do bodily injury, or conduct a mass shooting.

In 2018, Parkland in Broward County was the site of one the deadliest U.S. school shootings when a former student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High opened fire and killed 17 students and faculty,and injured 17 others.