MCSO has arrested an 11-year-old Horizon Academy student on charges related to the phony active shooter threat

Posted on 12.7.23 1:19 PM

MARION COUNTY, FL (352today.com) – NEW INFORMATION: The Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) says it has arrested an 11-year-old Horizon Academy student in connection with the hoax active shooter call.

The sheriff’s office has released the child’s name and mug shot on its Facebook page.

352today has decided to not name the student or release his picture in our story because he is a juvenile.

The sheriff’s office also posted the audio from the 9-1-1 call.

911: “911, what’s the address of the emergency?”
Caller: “Help, there is a school shooter walking through the hallway.”
911: “What school?”
Caller: “Um, Marion Oaks”
911: “What hallway are you in?”
Caller: “Building two”
911: “Marion oaks elementary or Marion oaks High school?”
Caller: “He’s coming, he’s coming.”
*Line Disconnects*

Deputies says the investigation into the caller revealed that 11-year-old boy told his friend he wanted to go home early, and when that same friend left his cell phone unattended, the 11-year-old went to the clinic and used the phone to call 911 to report an active shooter. Deputies say all of this was a prank.

Deputies arrested the child on charges of:
  • False Report of a Mass Shooting
  • Utilizing a Two-Way Communication Device to Facilitate a Felony
  • Disruption of a School Function
  • Misuse of a 911 Emergency System.
“This student put fear into his fellow students, staff, and parents,” stated Sheriff Billy Woods. “For what? A prank? Because you wanted to go home? I will not tolerate my young citizens being fearful of going to school because you wanted to be a ‘jokester’ in hopes of going home. The law requires that any person who makes these types of false reports pay restitution for the cost of the law enforcement response, which, in this case, will equal hundreds upon hundreds of man-hours. This young man is going to need to mow a lot of lawns to pay that bill.”

ORIGINAL 12/6: Marion County Public School (MCPS) officials have confirmed a student from Horizon Academy is responsible for Tuesday morning’s scare that locked down the school and attracted a large law enforcement response.

Kevin Christian, director of public relations for MCPS, tells 352today they knew the student’s identity by Tuesday afternoon – within hours of the phony active shooter threat.

Christian says they are reviewing disciplinary actions based on the district’s policies and referred us to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) in regard to possible criminal charges. We looked up the board policy and it states, “The School Board cooperates with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in reporting, preventing and responding to unlawful activities occurring on the campuses of the Marion County Public Schools.”

MCSO confirmed for us that detectives from the major crimes unit are leading the investigation and says no one has been charged yet. MCSO says they are working closely with the school system as they sort through the events.

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The phoned threat to 911 put Horizon Academy on Marion Oaks Drive on lockdown around 10:20 a.m. Tuesday for the students and teachers’ protection. Worried parents lined the streets leading up to the school hoping to hear what was going on inside and be reunited with their children safely.

“Law enforcement responded en masse, in big force… as we hope and pray, they always will and we appreciate that they do,” said Christian on the scene on Tuesday.

Christian said deputies conducted a very thorough search and did not locate any threat to the safety of students or staff. They gave the ‘all clear’ several hours after the initial lockdown.

“They searched pretty much everybody on campus to make sure who was here was supposed to be here,” said Christian. “We realize this is a big inconvenience for the community. But we’d rather err on the side of caution with safety in mind, every time.”