The incident occurred approximately at 9:40 am on Tuesday at Horizon Academy at Marion Oaks
Florida police have arrested an 11-year-old boy who dialled 911 to falsely report a school shooting, all in an attempt to go home early. According to Marion County Sheriff's Office, the boy, whose name was not revealed was charged with a false report of mass shooting, utilising a two-way communication device to commit a felony, disruption of a school function and misuse of 911.
The incident occurred approximately at 9:40 am on Tuesday at Horizon Academy at Marion Oaks. A caller identified as an 11-year-old student, called 911 to alert authorities about a purported school shooter in the school hallway, as per deputies.
Fox News reported that the 911 call prompted a lockdown of the entire school. Despite an intensive search, no gunman or weapons were discovered, and fortunately, no injuries were reported. Following the evacuation, all staff and students were successfully located and were able to return to their classrooms.
Upon initiating an investigation into the origin of the 911 call, detectives traced it back to a student within the school. Despite initially denying any involvement and claiming to have left his phone and backpack in the school's clinic, it was later revealed that the 11-year-old boy had taken advantage of his friend's unattended phone to make the false report of an active shooter to 911, according to deputies.
"Help, a school shooter is walking through the hallway," the boy tells a dispatcher, according to 911 audio from the Marion County Sheriff's Office.
Dispatcher: "What school?"
Caller: "Um, Marion Oaks."
Dispatcher: "What hallway are you in?"
Caller: "Building two."
Dispatcher: "Marion Oaks Elementary or Marion Oaks High School?"
Caller: "He's coming. He's coming."
*line disconnects*
The sheriff's office told Fox News, "All of this was a prank."
"This student put fear into his fellow students, staff, and parents. And for what? A prank? Because you wanted to go home?" Sheriff Billy Woods said in a statement. "I will not tolerate my young citizens being fearful of going to school because you wanted to be a 'jokester' in hopes of going home. The law requires that any person who makes these types of false reports pay restitution for the cost of the law enforcement response which, in this case, will equal hundreds upon hundreds of man-hours. This young man is going to need to mow a lot of lawns to pay that bill."
The 11-year-old was placed under arrest and transported to the Marion County Jail.