High school student arrested for making bomb threat

WALTON COUNTY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - A Walton High School student was arrested after investigators say she made a bomb threat.

On Thursday morning, school resource deputies with Walton County Sheriff’s Office and Walton High administration were informed of a student saying she had a bomb inside the school.

The 16-year-old claimed she had a pipe bomb in her book bag in front of the class. When teachers spoke with her, the teen allegedly stated, “I have a pipe bomb in my book bag.”

The school resource deputy and staff were made aware and reportedly removed students from the classroom.

When the student’s backpack and classroom was searched, officials say nothing was found.

WCSO says high school students were quickly evacuated from the building, and bomb squads with Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office and Bay County Sheriff’s Office responded and searched the campus before giving the all-clear.

When being interviewed, the teen told deputies she was “saying something from a video game”.

The 16-year-old was arrested and charged with false reporting of a bomb, which is a second-degree felony. She was booked into the Walton County Jail, then transported to the Department of Juvenile Justice in Crestview.

Superintendent A. Russell Hughes and Sheriff Adkinson emphasized that threats like these were “not a joke and will always be taken seriously”.

The full statement from Superintendent Hughes was as follows:

“We will always respond swiftly and strongly to protect the children of the Walton County School District. What happened today is not a joke, and we constantly remind students of the seriousness and consequences of school threats.”

According to officials, the student did not have a criminal history.