Spoto High student arrested for making bomb threat against school: HCSO
RIVERVIEW, Fla. - A Spoto High student was arrested Thursday after deputies said he called the school and made a bomb threat.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said a 17-year-old student, who is not being named due to his age, is now facing multiple charges.
Spoto High bomb threat arrest
What we know:
School resource deputies said they were notified Wednesday of a bomb threat made during a call Spoto High School's receptionist received. The receptionist told deputies that the caller asked, "Is this Spoto?" before claiming he planted a bomb on the first floor of the school's 200 building.
The caller then said that everyone was going to die before he hung up, according to HCSO.
Deputies searched the school immediately after the call was received. No explosives were found, and no other threats were made, officials confirmed.
Detectives said they were able to trace the phone number the caller used to the parents of a 12th grade Spoto High School student. Investigators met with the student and his mother the next day, and it was confirmed the teen was the phone's user.
A review of the call history showed Spoto High School was called, HCSO said.
The 17-year-old is now facing multiple charges, including false report of a bomb, explosive or weapon of mass destruction; unlawful use of a two-way communication device and disrupting a school campus or function.
Hillsborough sheriff details charges
What we don't know:
Authorities have not said what prompted the teen to make the threatening phone call.
Sheriff warns against school pranks
What they're saying:
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister released the following statement:
"A bomb threat is not a joke, a prank or something we will ever take lightly. One call can create fear and disrupt an entire school. If you make a threat against one of our schools, we will find you, arrest you and hold you accountable."
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, which provided details about the initial response, the investigation and gave a statement from the sheriff.