Florida police arrest teen after ‘online threats to kill students’
A Florida teenager, who lives just miles from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, was arrested after a pipe bomb and other weapons were allegedly found during a raid on his home.
READ MORE: Florida school ignored ‘multiple’ warnings about gunman Cruz
The 16-year-old had threatened to kill students while playing an online video game, according to a statement from Broward County Sheriff’s Office. Police raided the teenager’s home at around 4:00 pm local time on Monday after receiving a tip from a member of the public. A homemade pipe bomb and other weapons were allegedly found at the house.
A 16-year-old Pompano Beach boy who threatened to kill students and had a pipe bomb in his home was arrested Monday night. Read more: https://t.co/F6ehVmPTYg
— Broward Sheriff (@browardsheriff) February 27, 2018
The bomb squad was at the scene along with investigators from Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The teen is facing a felony charge for possessing explosives, the sheriff’s office said.
The arrest was just the latest in a string of arrests following online threats to harm students in the wake of the shooting at the Parkland high school, which left 17 people dead on February 14.
READ MORE: Parkland massacre survivor boycotts school until Florida passes gun legislation
In the aftermath of the Parkland attack, a 15-year-old was arrested after threatening to kill people at a number of Broward County schools. On February 20, a 13-year-old girl was also arrested after allegedly posting a threat on Instagram to kill students at another Broward County school, according to the Sun-Sentinel.
Broward County Sheriff's Office has come under pressure following allegations that complaints against shooter Nikolas Cruz were not properly investigated and that three sheriff’s deputies did not enter the school after arriving on the scene during the mass shooting. The school’s armed and uniformed resource officer, Scot Peterson, also came under scrutiny after failing to enter the building to stop the gunman.
