VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – A 16-year-old student is accused of calling in a false report of a threat and prompting a lockdown earlier this week at New Smyrna Beach High School, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
The high school and nearby New Smyrna Beach Middle School were placed on lockdown before noon Tuesday due to a report that someone brought a firearm to the high school’s campus, drawing a multi-agency response that included the sheriff’s office and New Smyrna Beach Police Department. Both lockdowns were lifted within around two hours.
Recommended Videos
Volusia County detectives interviewed several parties after the all-clear, reiterating a statement from Sheriff Mike Chitwood that ”hoax threats won’t be tolerated and criminal charges apply,” the sheriff’s office said on social media.
In a case update Friday morning, the sheriff’s office said detectives had determined there was no gun on campus and that a 16-year-old student was responsible for prompting the lockdowns.
According to the update, the student called 911 to claim she saw a gun in a live Instagram video, yet “was lying in an attempt to get other students in trouble.” The student has since been charged with disrupting school functions by making a false report, the posts state.
The sheriff’s office said that the false report drew more than 50 law enforcement officers to the high school campus and caused major disruptions.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: