MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Several South Florida schools were on high alert on Thursday, after another threat of violence was posted to social media.
A 13-year-old Miami-Dade County Public Schools student has been arrested and accused of posting what authorities called a hoax social media threat that targeted several campuses.
The girl’s post on Instagram warned of violence on Friday at a number of middle and high schools in the Miami area, and at Miramar High School in Broward County.
The district has not said which Miami-Dade school the girl attended.
Educators and law enforcement have repeatedly warned that these threats will lead to arrests and serious consequences for the students behind them.
“For my students, what I want them to understand is that these are felony charges,” said Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony. “It isn’t a misdemeanor, it isn’t a citation, it’s not even a warning. These are felony criminal charges that will stay with them for the rest of their life.”
South Florida schools have faced a number of social media threats in recent weeks, with several ending in arrests. Officials say this type of behavior becomes even more common before holiday breaks.
“We have to obviously employ more strategies. I think in terms of additional mental health counselors, counselors in schools and student service personnel will help mitigate that. I think that alone will be insufficient, we really need to practice having additional conversations with the community and engage parents in joining us in creating a new narrative for kids,” said Miami-Dade Public Schools Superintendent, Alberto Carvalho.