Citrus County School district charges 1, disciplines 6 due to posting threats on social media

Citrus County, Florida - On Dec. 14, school administrators contacted law enforcement regarding a viral video about school violence that would occur on Dec. 17, 2021, that had been posted on TikTok. A student, who was arrested and charged with making a false report to law enforcement, allegedly added Inverness Middle School as a threatened school when reposting the video. This likely contributed to a lockdown mistakenly initiated at Crystal River High School, Dec. 16, as the result of a student's medical emergency.

Message from Citrus County School District:

Citrus County, Florida - As many of you know, the Citrus County School District has been dealing with a wave of social media shooting threats in recent days. We understand threats of this nature, even when deemed unsubstantiated, create a heightened sense of anxiety among our students, staff, and families. Please be assured, we have law enforcement, guardians, and other safety protocols in place as additional safety measures.

As a result of the latest generalized social media threats, and threats specific to our schools, one student has been charged and six students have been disciplined. We are also working with our partners at the Citrus County Sheriff's Office on investigations that could lead to more arrests. Even though we cannot release student information, these disciplines range from out-of-school suspensions to a recommendation for expulsion.

We want to make it clear, that we WILL NOT tolerate any threats on social media. Both the school district and law enforcement will investigate every threat that is made and hold those accountable to the fullest extent of our authority.

Again, here's how parents and students can help us deal with threats: Please DO NOT REPOST threats on social media. Instead, we ask that you REPORT the threat immediately to your school and local law enforcement. Our schools will continue to employ campus safety measures and communicate with parents when there is a threat involving a specific school.

As always, we want to thank our students, staff, and families for their patience and understanding during this time.