The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) has arrested Avery Rhodes, a 15-year-old student at Bloomingdale High School, for allegedly making threats to “shoot up” the school on social media, according to an official release shared by the department this evening.
According to the official release, Rhodes posted a photo on Snapchat with the caption saying, “ok imma shoot the school up.”
Sheriff Chad Chronister emphasized the seriousness of the situation, stating, “This behavior is not a joke. Threatening the safety of our schools, whether online or in person, will not be tolerated. We will pursue anyone who makes these threats to the fullest extent of the law.”
Sheriff Chronister reassured the community that the safety of students and teachers is a top priority, and law enforcement will not hesitate to act on any threats.
Rhodes, who is not believed to actually had access to any weapons, now faces serious consequences for the social media posts; one count of Written or Electronic Threat to Conduct a Mass Shooting or Act of Terrorism and one count of Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communications Device.