50+ teens arrested for school threats in Florida since semester began, DeSantis applauds ‘robust response’

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis said local sheriffs are taking school threats “very seriously” and applauded them for their “robust response” so far this school year.

Florida’s Voice documented at least 55 students have been arrested across 11 counties alone, according to a number of recent press releases and media reports.

Given that Florida has a total of 67 counties, the actual number of arrests is likely higher since the total number of arrests in the remaining 56 counties is unknown at this time.

Florida’s Voice counted at least 55 arrest in the following counties: 24 in Polk County, 9 in Broward County, 5 in Volusia County, 4 in Manatee County, 3 in Hillsborough County, 1 in Collier County, 3 in Putnam County, 1 in Lee County, 1 in Sanford (Seminole County), 3 in Jacksonville (Duval County), and 1 in Escambia County.

A reporter asked the governor at a roundtable event Thursday “at what point” he thinks the state is going to have to “step in” to “help districts out”, noting a possible increase in school threats this school year.

“I think they’re taking it very, very seriously, and yes, look, we stand by to help. We’ve done more on school security than any state in the United States since I’ve been governor, and part of that was because I became governor on the heels of the Parkland massacre down in South Florida,” DeSantis said.

DeSantis said those making threats will “be held accountable” and will be “prosecuted.”

“I’ve actually been pleased to see a very robust response on the local level. If there’s things that the state can do to be helpful, we will. But, this has not been something that our state and locals, or our local officials in law enforcement have been ignoring. I think they’ve been very proactive on it,” DeSantis said.

On Thursday, Polk County officials said 24 students have been arrested for making online threats since the start of the school year (28 days).

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd confirmed an increase in school shooting threats this school year.

“I haven’t queried every county, but the sheriffs I’ve talked to, we’re seeing an increase this year,” Judd said in a press conference Thursday.

Judd said it is necessary for each threat to be investigated because “in every school shooter, there were signs in advance that people ignored.”

The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office reported four arrests of students for school threats within the last week.

On Sept. 11, Broward County announced nine students were arrested by the Broward Sheriff’s Office Threat Management Unit detectives for making threats against schools since just before the beginning of the school year.

In Hillsborough, a 16-year-old student was arrested on Sept. 18 for bringing a gun to school. On Sept. 13, 200 members of the Hillsborough County Sheriffs office investigated a false flag of a school shooting.

Hillsborough County said they have investigated 111 school-based threats submitted to “Fortify Florida” in a span of eight days from Sept. 8-12.

At least three Hillsborough students have been arrested, according to separate press release in August in September.

Over in Volusia County, at least five students have been arrested in the span of a week for school threats. The students ages are 11, 13, 14, 16, and 17. Some of the threats were reportedly made on Snapchat and Instagram.

Mike Chitwood, the sheriff in Volusia, has been publishing mugshots and “perp walks” of the students who allegedly made school threats, in an effort to “publicly shame them and their parents.”

One video of a student garnered over 22 million views.

Chitwood previously said so far this year, there have been 207 threats and 11 weapons found on school campuses.

In Collier County, a student was arrested in a Sept. 16 incident.

In Putnam County, three students were arrested for school threats on Sept 16 and Sept. 17, Sept. 18.

In Lee County, one student has reportedly been arrested this school year.

In the city of Sanford (Seminole County), one student has been arrested on Sept. 12 for school threats.

In Jacksonville, Duval County, three students were arrested on separate occasions for school threats according to an announcement on Sept 11.

In Escambia County, at least one student was reportedly arrested in September for a school threat.

Florida law allows the cost of these investigations to be charged to the parents of the juvenile defendants.

Geno Roefaro, CEO of SaferWatch, told Florida’s Voice the group has seen “an uptick” in school threats this year versus last year.

Over the past few years, Roefaro said SaferWatch has “helped to prevent 13 planned school shootings.”

SaferWatch, an app used in Broward Schools to give students, parents, teachers, visitors and staff a direct line to “communicate seamlessly” with local law enforcement. Roefaro said they have over 2,000 schools in the state that utilize SaferWatch technology.

Florida schools also use FortifyFlorida which is another tool that allows tips to be submitted to law enforcement.

Florida’s Voice reached out to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to request a total number of threats and arrests in Florida so far this school year, however did not hear back by the time of publication.