Fifteen students in Volusia County are facing charges for threats of violence at schools. The Sheriff wants students to know that regardless of whether it's a joke or real, you will pay for the cost of the response.

  • Volusia to send expense bill to students who make school threats
  • Sheriff's Office says minimum response cost is $1,082
  • 15 students face charges for making threats, hoaxes against schools

Sheriff Mike Chitwood says the minimum cost to respond and investigate a school threat is $1,082. If a bomb threat or suspicious device is involved, a spokesman for the agency says the cost could be $10,000 or more if the bomb squad is called in.

"These kids must think we are joking like they always claim to be," Chitwood tweeted Thursday. "We aren't. It stops being funny fast when you get locked up and end up owing us $1,000 or more."

Since the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland on Feb. 14, Volusia County has had to respond to incidents at schools across the county, and 15 students have ended up facing charges. Four more students were charged Thursday for making threats or false statements of seeing a gun on campus. 

Those charged all face felonies. The Sheriff's Office said two of the four students claimed to be joking. 

The agency said in all of the cases, either the defendants themselves or the families will pay for the cost of law enforcement response.