Multiple schools tips received but investigation reveals no credible threat
Indian River County, Fl-On the evening of Wednesday, October 2 and into the early morning hours of Thursday, October 3, multiple tips were received via the FortifyFL app, social media, and other means indicating a threat of a school shooting at Oslo Middle School. The threat was originally posted to Snapchat. Indian River County Sheriff’s Deputies and Detectives immediately began investigating the incident.
They quickly determined that the incident stemmed from a romantic breakup of 7th grade students. The alleged male student’s home was searched with consent from the parents, where detectives learned that the child does not have access to weapons, did not make a threat, and does not own a cell phone. Detectives have since learned that the Snapchat photo circulating originated in Alabama. A local female student shared this Snapchat photo, altering the information on the photo. Detectives are currently coordinating with the State Attorney’s Office to determine if charges are warranted.
Indian River County Sheriff Deryl Loar stated, “Our deputies and detectives did a fantastic job overnight to get to the heart of this alleged threat. We are happy to report that tips to the FortifyFL app are working, which helped us in this case. We would encourage parents to talk to your children about the seriousness of the words they say and share on social media. Spreading rumors and false threats can result in charges, and they need to be aware that we take this very seriously.”
School District of Indian River County Interim Superintendent Dr. Moxley stated, “We recognize and understand the concern of the community when a report is received or a threat is made against our schools.
Rest assured that our strong partnership with the Indian River County Sherriff’s Office, and their daily presence on each of our campuses, ensures that each incident is taken very seriously, and investigated thoroughly, by not only law enforcement, but our District Safety and Security team, and administrators on each campus. Our success at keeping our campuses and district buildings safe is supported by the vigilance of our SDIRC families and community members who report suspicious activity through our IRCSO tip lines, FORTIFYFL app, and to District personnel; we are thankful to everyone who joins us in keeping our District safe.
With that being said, we caution our students and community regarding purposely making fake threats, or jokes involving school violence or harm to others. Whether it is on social media, or through word of mouth, individuals who make fake threats will receive real consequences that can impact the rest of their lives. Thank you to the IRCSO, once again, for their quick action in handling and investigating reports they receive involving our schools. Today is another safe day for students, teachers, and staff in our school district, and operations are running normally on all campuses.”
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