Apopka teen arrested, accused of making threat in chat during livestream of pep rally, police say

Tips for parents on fake school shooting threats

Posting threats about school shootings, mass shooting, or threats targeting a school are not a joking matter. Several middle school and high school students in Florida were arrested this week and charged with allegedly making an online threat. Law enforcement is not laughing. FOX 35 talks to an expert about how parents can talk to their kids immediately about the seriousness of their social media postings, what they say, and how to intervene.

APOPKA, Fla - The Apopka Police Department was alerted to a threat made against Apopka High School during a live-streamed pep rally, where the threat was posted in the chat. As a precaution, the school was placed on lockdown.

With the assistance of the Orange County Public Schools District Police and the FBI, authorities identified and arrested a 15-year-old Apopka resident. The teenager faces charges of a felony for making written or electronic threats to kill, cause bodily harm, or conduct a mass shooting or act of terrorism, as well as a misdemeanor for disrupting a school function.

"The Apopka Police Department takes threats of violence seriously, and this behavior will not be tolerated," said Deputy Chief Jerome Miller.