2 Students Made Separate Threats To Pinellas County Schools: Sheriff

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — Two students face charges after making separate threats to Pinellas County schools, authorities said.

A 12-year-old girl was arrested Friday and charged with making written threats to kill or conduct a mass shooting, according to a Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office news release.

She sent Instagram messages to two other students about conducting a school shooting at Azalea Middle School.

When deputies contacted the girl and her mother, the student admitted to sending the messages, but said she was not serious about the threats, the sheriff's office said.

A 12-year-old boy was also charged Friday with making a false report concerning planting a bomb, an explosive, or a weapon of mass destruction or concerning the use of firearms in a violent manner.

The student brought a replica gun to Carwise Middle School in Palm Harbor and told another student he was going to use it “to take out his anger on students and teachers,” the sheriff’s office said.

During the investigation, the boy told deputies he brought the gun to school to be “cool” and said any threats he made were a joke.

Both students were booked into the Pinellas Juvenile Assessment Center.

Anyone with information on any school threats is asked to notify the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office immediately at (727) 582-6200 or via getfortifyfl.com.