A 15-year-old female student has been arrested by the Ocala Police Department after she was accused of sending a false email to a classmate’s mother claiming that there was an active shooter at their high school.
On Wednesday, the mother called 911 to report that a shooting was taking place at Trinity Catholic High School located at 2600 SW 42nd Street in Ocala. OPD officers were immediately dispatched to the school to ensure the safety of students, teachers, and staff.
Prior to the arrival of officers, OPD called the high school and learned that school officials were unaware of any active threat. Additionally, the mother who called 911 received another email from her child stating that there was no shooting, and her child further advised that another classmate had sent the initial hoax email.
When officers arrived at the high school, they made contact with school officials and confirmed that there was no shooting threat. The police presence at the school was scaled back, and OPD officers began investigating the hoax threat.
According to OPD, the investigation revealed that a 15-year-old female student had used another student’s iPad to send the false email to that student’s mother claiming that there was a shooting taking place at the high school. The student who sent the hoax message was arrested and is facing a second-degree felony charge for making a false report concerning the use of firearms in a violent matter.
The Ocala Police Department released the following statement: “We take threats like this very seriously and will not hesitate to take action against those who seek to cause harm or create panic in our community. We are relieved that this turned out to be a false alarm, but we want to remind everyone that making threats like this, even as a joke, is never acceptable. It causes undue stress and anxiety for those involved, wastes valuable resources, and diverts our attention from real emergencies.”
OPD encourages parents to speak with their children about the importance of safety in schools and to report any concerns or suspicious activity to law enforcement immediately.