The lockdown of two schools in New Smyrna Beach last week has seemingly finally been figured out, according to an update from the Volusia Sheriff's Office. The gun threat that placed both New Smyrna Beach High School and New Smyrna Beach Middle School on lockdown for part of Tuesday is apparently due to a false report from a 16-year-old student.
According to the VSO's report, the teen (whose identity was not posted by the VSO and will not be disseminated here) called 911 saying she'd seen a gun in an Instagram live stream by another student. The subsequent response drew over 50 law enforcement officers to the high school campus, impacting studies for the entire day. The campus was cleared later that day.
Now, the VSO says the teen who called in the threat was lying to try and get other students in trouble. She's been arrested and charged with disrupting school functions by making a false report.
"Parents and guardians really need to keep driving home this message," Sheriff Mike Chitwood said. "A hoax report of a gun on campus is an easy way to earn a criminal record and make your life a lot more difficult."
