Fake shooting threat: Mainland high school students face felony charges for causing panic among children
DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA: In another incident of school shooting prank, a group of Florida high school students are now being slapped with felony charges and possible expulsions. The police called the entire episode a ‘cruel’ prank. As per the police, the footage shows scared Mainland High School students rushing for hiding, and escaping possible gunshots.
According to Daytona Police Department, such incidents have become a ‘common occurrence’. Giving details on the development, the authorities wrote on a Facebook post that on September 8, students had scrawled a promise to shoot up Mainland High School on a bathroom wall. “The following day, two separate groups of students plotted to 'capitalize' on the unease created by the message by staging a shooting," the officials said.
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“The groups can clearly be seen on video, getting into specific positions and locations within the cafeteria, timing their actions,” the department revealed. The post further read that in the surveillance footage several female suspects could be seen smiling and laughing and then reaching out to a school administrator and claiming someone had a gun. This was followed by a male participant positioned near the hallway until their collaborators talked with the staffer and then suddenly went running down a hallway. It was done in order to raise panic among other students, which triggered others to run for covers.
The police said, “This entire incident appears to have been a cruel prank by several students that has now gotten out of control due to internet trolls, misinformed people and in some cases, people that are not even in Florida, or have kids that go to school at Mainland.” The offenders, in this case, are high schoolers, who had been held accountable for their actions under the following provision. The statement read, “A false report concerning the use of firearms in a violent manner against a person or persons.”
To prevent such incidents in the future, the department is advocating for expulsions of students involved. “As far as the “pranksters”, charges are pending for making a false report concerning the use of firearms in a violent manner against a person or persons, a 2nd degree felony. Additionally, expulsion from school will be recommended for all involved," the Facebook post read.
The prank came in the wake of several school shootings in recent times including Nikolas Cruz case, where the jury is deciding on the fate of Florida school shooter, back in 2018, where 14 students and 3 staffers were killed.