Authorities in Florida are investigating a mass shooting threat that turned out to be a false alarm created by a teenage girl who aimed to frame her ex-boyfriend.
Riverview High School officials received an email on Wednesday, alerting them to a potential mass shooting after a screenshot of an Instagram post was included in the message, as reported by police.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s a joke or if it’s from AI—there are consequences for this behavior,” said Amanda Granit, chief communications officer for the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
When sheriff’s deputies looked into it, they traced the post back to a male student at the school. After questioning him, they found out that the post did not originate from him but was instead fabricated by his former girlfriend.
The girl, 15, a previous student at Riverview High, utilized artificial intelligence to create the threatening image, according to law enforcement. During her interview, she confessed to sending the misleading screenshot to school administrators.
As a result, she was charged with written or electronic threats related to mass shootings and terrorism, among other offenses.
Granit emphasized that making threats against a school is considered a felony in Hillsborough County. “It doesn’t matter what your intentions are; the law will take this seriously,” she stated.
Rich Kolko, a retired FBI special agent, pointed out a pervasive misconception among individuals who feel anonymous online, saying, “They think they are safe behind a keyboard. But as this incident illustrates, their actions can have serious consequences.”
