LAKELAND, Fla. – A 14-year-old boy faces a long list of felony charges after investigators caught him making six bomb threats to his own school on Wednesday.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrested Adrian Allison, a student at Lakeland Highlands Middle School. Deputies say the teenager was already on probation for grand theft of a motor vehicle before his arrest this week.
According to investigators, the Lakeland Police Department intercepted five emergency calls on May 27, 2026. A male caller inside the building told dispatchers he had a bomb and was going to “blow up this place.” A sixth call came into the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Communications Center.
An FBI special agent joined local detectives at the school to track the phone number used to make the threats. The number came back to Allison, and school staff quickly confirmed his identity.
When detectives questioned the 14-year-old about the disruption, he admitted to making the calls. He told investigators he did it because “he was bored in class and thought it was a funny joke.”
Local leaders emphasize that the legal fallout for these actions is permanent and severe.
“Threats to blow up a school or commit any act of violence on a school campus are incredibly serious, and anyone who makes them will be charged with the appropriate felonies,” Sheriff Grady Judd said. “Parents, remember to educate your children that this type of behavior will absolutely not be tolerated. Unfortunately this teenager is already heading down the wrong path.”
Frederick Heid, Superintendent of Polk County Public Schools, echoed the sentiment and thanked law enforcement for their fast response.
“There is no excuse for making a threat against our students, staff, and schools,” Heid said. “We will thoroughly investigate every instance, and the consequences are extremely serious. If you make a threat, it will have long-lasting, life-altering impacts on your future.”
Allison faces 20 total charges: six counts of false report of a bomb, six counts of unlawful use of a two-way communication device, six counts of misuse of 911, one count of disruption of a school function, and one count of violation of probation.
Authorities booked the teenager into the Juvenile Assessment Center. He remains in custody inside the juvenile wing of the Polk County Jail.
READ: Deadly I-95 Crash: Bus Plows Into Slowed Traffic In Virginia, Killing 5 And Injuring 34
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox
