Student, 11, charged with starting Horizon Academy panic. Learn what he told classmates.
MARION OAKS — An 11-year-old student at Horizon Academy at Marion Oaks has been taken into custody and accused of making the hoax 911 call on Tuesday that caused a panic on campus.
According to the Marion County Sheriff's Office, Detective Jordyn Batts has charged the juvenile with false report of a mass shooting, utilizing a two-way communication device to commit a felony, disruption of a school function and misuse of 911.
The boy was arrested and detained at a local facility that houses juveniles until his court appearance. The minor is not being named by the Star-Banner because of his age.
On Thursday, the boy appeared in front of Circuit Judge Brad King at a detention hearing. The judge ordered that the child remain in secure detention. His next court hearing is slated for next week. The boy's parents said they plan to hire a private lawyer for his defense.
School officials said while they could not give any information about disciplinary action the student might face, they did say that, typically, students who make threats like this often are suspended or expelled.
What happened?
Authorities said about 9:40 a.m. on Tuesday, a 911 operator received a call from Horizon Academy saying there was a shooter in the hallways.
The school was placed on lockdown and numerous law enforcement agencies rushed to the scene. Scores of parents also showed up and stood outside, awaiting word.
Law enforcement officials searched the school but found no shooter or firearms. They said no one was injured.
Investigation
Batts found out that the phone used to make the call belongs to a student at the school. That person was interviewed and he said he did not make the call. The student said he left his phone in his backpack when he went to the school's clinic.
School Resource Officer Christopher Rafferty looked at the school's surveillance video. It showed the student who owns the phone was walking through the hallway and did not have his phone or backpack with him at the time the 911 call was made, according to the sheriff's office.
The detective was told about the one person who could have made the call. Officials were also told that the caller was the only one in the class who knew where the phone was kept.
Multiple people who listened to a recording of the 911 call identified the caller as the boy who eventually was arrested. The child reportedly told other students that he wanted to go to the clinic that day so he could be picked up early by his parents.
Boy's arrest
The detective tried talking with the boy, but his parents declined for him to be interviewed without an attorney present. The boy was arrested.
“This student put fear into his fellow students, staff, and parents,” Sheriff Billy Woods said in a prepared statement. “And 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."
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Woods added: "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.”
Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Authorities charge boy, 11, for false 911 call about Horizon Academy
