A student at Parrish Community High School was arrested for a video posted to TikTok imitating a mass shooting on campus with a toy gun, Manatee County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Thursday.
The student has been charged with making written or electronic threats to kill, do bodily injury or conduct a mass shooting, a second-degree felony.
The video was filmed on Tuesday while students were being evacuated from the high school due to an anonymous online bomb threat. The school has received a string of bomb threats since last week, and law enforcement has not yet identified a suspect.
Detectives say they have no evidence that the student who posted the mock shooting video is connected to the bomb threats.
A school resource deputy identified the student in the TikTok video, and the student was arrested at their home on Thursday morning and taken to a juvenile detention center, the sheriff’s office said.
“The investigation continues with the possibly of additional arrests,” the news release said.
On Wednesday, a Buffalo Creek Middle School student was arrested for a similar video posted to TikTok that imitated a mass shooting, the sheriff’s office said.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Parrish Community High School principal Craig Little urged anyone with information about the recent school security threats to come forward.
“Parents, we need help with talking to your children. If they know anything related to the incidents over the past few days, we’re asking that they please reach out to school administration.”
Crime Stoppers of Manatee County is offering a $500 reward for information leading to an arrest related to the bomb threats.