JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After a 911 call Tuesday about a gun at Jefferson Davis Middle School prompted a search that turned up no weapons, the 13-year-old accused of making that call was arrested.
The school office also got a call saying there was someone with a gun in the school. Duval County School Board police along with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office searched the campus, especially the courtyard area that the caller identified, but there was no evidence of a gun or a gunman.
According to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, a trace of the hoax call led to the student, who was charged with making a false 911 call.
In a letter sent home with students at the end of the day, Principal Nidia Ashby wrote, "Within minutes, representatives from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office arrived at the school to assess the situation, confirm that our students and campus were safe, and the student who made the threat was identified. No students were threatened or harmed in this incident."
Ashby added: "While we are very pleased with the responsiveness and cooperation of our students, staff and security teams, we request your parental support. Please talk with your children about this incident and emphasize his or her role in keeping our campus safe."
Parents said they were relieved that the report was false, but frustrated that the school day was disrupted by something like this. Some were also frustrated they didn't find out about the incident sooner.
"I think it's very important for the school to let parents know as soon as they come to know, just in case there is imminent danger near," said Keturah Porter. "Maybe we want to come get our kids. That's our choice as a parent. We should have the right to get our children if there is a code red, not for someone else to try to protect our children."
A letter about the incident was being sent home with students at the end of the day.