MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — Manatee County deputies said they arrested a high school student Thursday evening for making a false tip about a school shooting.
Detectives said they used investigative techniques to develop a person of interest, which later led to a probable cause for arrest.
Investigators said they went to the school with a juvenile pick order and took the student into custody.
The sheriff’s office said the student confessed to making the false report “as a joke.”
The student was charged with disruption of an educational institution.
The sheriff’s office said this is the fourth student arrested in Manatee County in the last two days for making school threats.
Two other students were arrested Thursday after posting separate, but similar videos “depicting a mass shooting on campus,” investigators said.
Parrish Community High School was threatened four times in one week.
Students were evacuated from the school on Tuesday following two bomb threats submitted through a mobile app.
Detectives said Thursday that they are pursuing leads on other school threat cases.
“When we find who is responsible, we will arrest them,” Sheriff Rick Wells said. “We will take them to jail.”
