CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — A 14-year-old boy has been charged with making a false report about a gun threat at Clay High School, prompting a lockdown and deputy response on Wednesday morning.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office received a tip through the Fortify FL app at 7 a.m. about a potential gun threat at Clay High School, Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook said Wednesday afternoon.
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Deputies quickly increased their presence at the school and identified the person who allegedly made the threat. However, that person was not on campus, and the school was placed on a modified lockdown, Cook said.
Upon visiting the home of the person identified in the threat, deputies found a juvenile who denied any involvement.
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Cook said the juvenile’s younger brother, who attends Bannerman Learning Center, admitted to fabricating the threat out of anger towards his sibling.
As a precaution, Bannerman was also placed on lockdown. The mother of the two boys cooperated with authorities during the investigation, Cook said.
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Cook stated that the younger brother created a fake text conversation that appeared to come from his older sibling, took a screenshot of it, then sent it to the Fortify FL app to incriminate his older sibling.
The 14-year-old responsible for the false report has been charged with a felony for making a false report of the use of a firearm in a violent manner. He is currently in custody, and no firearm was found during the investigation, Cook said.
Cook asked parents to take this opportunity to remind their kids that sending tips into the Fortify FL app is not a joke and that they should not make false allegations.
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