ORLANDO, Fla. — A 15-year-old boy was arrested late Thursday after a friend tipped off police about his threats “to become a school shooter,” the Sanford Police Department announced.

Police officers arrested the teen for intimidating written/electronic threat of a mass shooting, a second-degree felony, according to the agency’s news release sent at 12:29 a.m. Friday. The Sentinel does not name minors unless they are charged as an adult.

The arrest came as school districts around Central Florida and across the country are encountering increased levels of tension regarding possible campus shootings, which may have been sparked by a school shooting in Georgia on Sep. 4 that killed four. On Friday, Orlando police announced the arrest of two students at Boone High School after one carryied a loaded handgun belonging to the other on campus. And families at Maitland Middle School were notified that law enforcement is investigating a threat posted to social media.

“Threatening to commit a school shooting is not a joke, it is a felony, and it will land you in jail,” Sanford Police Chief Cecil Smith said in the news release. “Sanford Police officers will continue to follow up on and quickly act on these reports.”

In the Sanford incident, officers responded to a house on Pinecrest Drive just before 8:30 p.m., in regard to an anonymous tip received through the FortifyFL app about the teen sending social media messages threatening to shoot up a school. FortifyFL is a suspicious activity reporting tool that allows people to instantly relay information to appropriate law enforcement agencies and school officials.

According to the police report, the tip said on Thursday the person received multiple messages from his friend on Instagram. He said the boy sent him a screenshot of a news article about recent threats to conduct a mass shooting at Seminole High School, the report said.

The Sanford police report said the screenshot was followed by a message from the suspect that said, “It’s me, I told you i wanted to be the shooter.” The teen then sent another message that said “I wanted to do it” and “It’s true” followed by another saying the reason he didn’t conduct the school shooting that day was his friend, who was the tipster, was not at school.

Another message sent by the teen at 6:53 p.m. said, according to the report, that he was going to buy a gun. The person who tipped off police provided a screenshot of all the messages and told them he was concerned because he’d only been friends with the teen for a short period of time and the messages were unlike him.

Upon arrival at the home, officers made contact with multiple people, including relatives of the suspect. Officers advised the boy and family members of their Miranda rights — the legal rights of a person to have an attorney and to refuse to answer questions — and then began questioning the suspect. Officers received permission from the family to search the home but found nothing of concern, the report said.

The teen’s family gave police permission to take the cellphone he used to send the messages, the report said.

Based on the investigation, officers were able to confirm the teen sent the messages and developed probable cause to arrest him. He was transported to the Seminole County Juvenile Assessment Center for processing.

The Police Department urges local students and school staff to continue reporting suspicious incidents, and for local families to speak with their children on the topic. The agency advised adults to ensure children are aware of the severity of making such threats and instruct them on what to do if they observe a fellow student making them.

Investigators ask anyone with information on this incident to contact the Police Department at 407-688-5070 or Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS (8477) or visit www.crimeline.org. Calls made to Crimeline remain anonymous and tips to that lead to solving cases are eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

In addition to the Sanford, Orlando and Maitland incidents, a student at Lake Brantley High School in Altamonte Springs was arrested on Wednesday morning for bringing a stolen, unloaded gun onto campus, sending the school into lockdown. A male student was found with a handgun and arrested by school resource officers from the Altamonte Springs Police Department.

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