Instagram post leads deputies to teen accused in threat hoax

Volusia County deputies say an Instagram post led them to arrest a 16-year-old boy accused of making a hoax school shooting threat.

The teen, a student at Atlantic High School in Port Orange, faces a charge of making a false report of a school shooting. He was placed on home detention and was expected to appear before a judge Friday morning, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. The Orlando Sentinel is not identifying the teen because of his age.

Threats were found this week at several Volusia County schools, including University High and Spruce Creek High, where officials found hoax threats written on a bathroom wall, according to the Sheriff ’s Office. There also was a threat called into Crimestoppers about New Smyrna Beach Middle School. Each time, the threats disrupted classes and prompted an increased law enforcement presence, the Sheriff ’s Office said.

Detectives investigated and on Thursday found a post on Instagram reading, “guys sry (sorry) i didn’t make it by 11 i gotchu tomorrow [4-21] school shooting tell everyone,” according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Officials said the post was made from an account that belongs to the teen. During an interview, he allegedly admitted to making one of the multiple hoax threats, detectives said.

“It’s not cute, it’s not clever, and if we identify the individuals responsible for any of these threats, they aren’t going to like the consequences,” Sheriff Mike Chitwood said in a news release Thursday.

Detectives are still investigating each threat.