HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. – A 17-year-old high school senior faces multiple criminal charges after deputies say he called in a bomb threat that forced authorities to search Spoto High School earlier this week.
Deputies with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office arrested 12th-grader Alexander Parris on Thursday following a swift investigation into the incident.
According to investigators, the threat came in on Wednesday, August 19, when a caller reached the school’s front desk. The caller asked the receptionist, “Is this Spoto?” before claiming an explosive device had been placed on the first floor of the 200 building. The caller then stated that everyone was going to die and disconnected the call.
School Resource Deputies responded immediately and searched the entire campus alongside responding units. Law enforcement found no explosives, devices, or active hazards on the property.
Detectives tracked the incoming phone number to a parent of Parris. On Thursday, August 20, investigators met with Parris and his mother at the school. Deputies confirmed the phone belonged to the family and that Parris was the person using the device. A subsequent check of the phone’s outgoing call logs confirmed a call placed to Spoto High School.
Parris was taken into custody and charged with making a false report of a bomb, explosive, or weapon of mass destruction, unlawful use of a two-way communication device, and disrupting a school campus or function.
“A bomb threat is not a joke, a prank or something we will ever take lightly,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. “One call can create fear and disrupt an entire school. If you make a threat against one of our schools, we will find you, arrest you and hold you accountable.”
Authorities stated that the investigation remains active.
READ: Bomb Threat Triggers Precautionary Evacuation At Northeast High In St. Petersburg
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