WINTER HAVEN, FLA. -- A 13-year-old Polk County student was arrested last week after police said the teen threatened to shoot up a school dance.
- Polk teen threatened to shoot up school dance, police say
- 13-year-old made calls to school, said it was a joke
- Teen charged with hoax threat, disrupting school function
Officials said the suspect, who we are not naming due to Spectrum Bay News 9 guidelines, left three messages on the administrative line at Denison Middle School stating people would be killed at the school dance that was scheduled for last Friday.
The first call came in at 12:50 p.m. and a male voice said, "Thirty people are going to die at the dance tonight…Tell MS Cox her car is not safe.”" The caller hung up.
The next call came in at 12:59 p.m. and the same male voice said, "Thirty-five people are going to die tonight." The third and final call came in at 2:05 p.m., again with the same male voice stating. "Thirty people are going to die at the dance tonight."
Due to the threats, the school decided to cancel the dance last week out of an abundance of caution.
Detectives were able to use a phone number to track down the suspect. When they made contact with the teen at his home, he told detectives that the calls were a joke.
“Let me make this perfectly clear,” said Winter Haven Police Chief Charlie Bird. “It is not a laughing matter involving any violence, particularly a shooting, whether at a school, a school function or any gathering no matter where the location. We are committed to making sure that anyone who thinks it’s a joke will find out that we aren’t laughing.”
Officials said the student had been placed on out-of-school suspension due to a previous incident where he slapped another student in the face. He was also barred from going to the school dance and did not receive a refund for his $10 school dance ticket.
The teen was charged with hoax threats via phone and disrupting a school function.