Crying wolf to 911 has resulted in charges against a 14-year-old boy who told dispatchers there was a student with a gun on the campus of Dillard High School, Fort Lauderdale police said.
The teenager — who the South Florida Sun Sentinel is not identifying because of his age — was arrested Thursday for a 911 call he made on March 11, officials said.
That call caused a three-hour lockdown and the interruption of classes at both Dillard High School and Dillard Middle School, investigators said.
During the call, the teenager gave the 911 operator a detailed description of the student carrying a handgun, where the student was in the building, and the teen claimed he was hiding in a bathroom for his safety, detectives said.
A SWAT team swarmed the campus at 2501 N.W. 11th St. and officers went classroom to classroom in search of the alleged armed student. They found no threats during the extensive search, police said.
The Fort Lauderdale Police Department’s Threat Response Unit eventually identified the student who made the false report.
He is charged with disturbing the peace, disturbing school functions, and misuse of the 911 system costing over $100, records show.
The investigation is ongoing and police are asking anyone with further information regarding this incident or any similar incident to contact Detective Chris Carita at 954-828-6616.
Anonymous tips can always be given to Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477 or online at browardcrimestoppers.org.
wkroustan@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4303 or Twitter @WayneRoustan
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