MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A 17-year-old boy is the latest Miami-Dade teenager to be arrested this week for allegedly posting a threatening message on social media toward Hialeah Miami Lakes Senior High School
According to his arrest report, Keith Clayton posted a message on social media Monday that read: “@HialeahMiamiLakesSeniorHighSchool, I just wanna let u all know that I’m going to blow up the school as soon as I get there so be ready tomorrow morning.”
Police said the teen was located at his home Tuesday and was taken into custody on a charge of written threat to kill or do bodily harm.
His arrest comes a day after two other Miami-Dade County students were arrested for allegedly making similar threats toward their schools.
According to authorities, 16-year-old Tanecia McElliot was arrested Monday for posting the following message on Instagram: “Don’t go to school tomorrow. I will blow up Miami Northwestern Senior High School and you will be the first to die.”
Police said a 15-year-old student at Miami Senior High School was also arrested Monday for posting a message on Instagram in Spanish that translated to: “I am going to kill everyone at Miami Senior High School, do not go to school if you don’t want to die on December 6. Everyone is going to see the anger inside of me.”
Local 10 News does not identify juvenile suspects under the age of 16.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho says there has been an increase in school threats over the past week.
“We have dealt with about 12 different threats over the past week,” Carvalho said, calling them “non-credible” and “hoaxes.”
Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle warned students Tuesday that her office will be prosecuting anyone who makes threats against their schools.
“Threats made against a school are never jokes, are never funny but are always crimes,” she said in a statement. “I, my prosecutors, police and school administrators must always take the potential for violence seriously. Upon being taken into custody, these second-degree felony crimes will lead to secure juvenile detention for a minimum of 21 days just to start the case.”