A 15-year-old student from South Broward High School was arrested Sunday, September 19th after making a threat to ‘shoot up a school’ on Snapchat.

The post caught the attention of a couple of classmates who then reported the disturbing message to South Broward’s administrative team that same night. The Hollywood Police Department was alerted and arrested the teen a few hours after the initial picture was uploaded.

In the post, the unidentified boy, dressed in a black hoodie and mask, held up a gun with the caption ‘bouta shoot up a school’. The teen had sent the picture to a couple friends as a joke, holding a plastic BB gun that wasn’t meant to be taken seriously.

Frantic parents, students, and staff flooded the administrators’ inboxes hoping to get an update on the safety of the campus. Late Sunday night, with the situation under control, South Broward’s principal Patricia Brown assured those concerned that it was okay to return to school the next day.

“I am going [to school] and I wouldn’t put my or your life in danger,” said Brown to a student.

Broward County Public Schools was notified of the events and issued a recorded phone message regarding the situation.

“We are aware of a threat that was circulating on social media. This was brought to our attention this evening by numerous responsible students. We immediately reported to Hollywood Police who then responded swiftly to address the situation. Please know the situation is secure by Hollywood Police and it is safe to return to school.”

Despite multiple statements of reassurance, the threat itself was enough to keep a multitude of nervous South Broward students home, including SBHS senior Sandor Hernandez Jr.

“I felt extremely unsafe and hesitant to go to school because of the picture circulating,” said Hernandez. “These days you have to be extra cautious about violent threats.”

Many students believe that incidents similar to this one are far too common in the area and want the issue to be addressed. SBHS senior Alyssa Consuegra feels that her well-being should be a priority.

“I was concerned for my safety, and I feel that many schools across the district fall short in making students feel secure,” Consuegra said. “It was the sense of uncertainty that prompted me to stay home.”