BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – A 16-year-old boy was arrested Friday after being accused of making numerous bomb threats to schools in South Florida and the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, the Broward County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Saturday.
According to BSO spokeswoman Claudinne Caro, a teen called 911 around 10:00 a.m. Friday and told the operator “About to do a bombing at South Broward High School.” The teen proceeded to say the bombing would happen in two hours, authorities said.
BSO said the school was immediately evacuated and minutes later, the teen called threatening to commit a shooting at South Broward High School and Attucks Middle School, both in Hollywood.
According to detectives, the threat caused Attucks Middle School to go on lockdown.
Caro said the teen continued to make additional bomb threats at Coconut Creek High School, Blanche Ely High School, Coral Glades High School and FLL airport.
“BSO’s Real Time Crime Center monitored the cameras on the schools, while investigators searched all affected locations and determined there was no actual threat,” she added.
According to authorities, BSO’s Threat Management Unit in collaboration with the Hollywood Police Department, Coral Springs Threat Management Unit and Coconut Police Department developed information that led to the arrest of the teen.
According to BSO, the boy was not a student at any of the affected schools.
The teen faces charges of written threats to kill, false report of a bomb or firearm and disruption of a school function.
His identity has not yet been released.