JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – There was additional security Friday at Lee High School, according to Duval County Public Schools.
The school district said the enhanced safety measures -- including metal detection wanding, bag checks and increased police presence -- were in place in response to a social media threat regarding the high school on Jacksonville's Westside.
A message was sent to parents and guardians from school officials.
"We take all threats very seriously. It is already under investigation by law enforcement," the message reads, in part. "Please take a moment to remind your children of the serious consequences that can occur from making any type of threat like this. We all play a role in keeping Lee High School a safe and productive learning environment."
The extra security guards at Lee were visible Friday. Parents said not only was the threat scary, but the means by which the message came was even scarier.
Antinese Stinson said she kept her two children home from school Friday because of the threat. Several other parents did, as well. Stinson said her eldest son was among students who received the threat via AirDrop Thursday.
"I first saw the alert yesterday. Another parent sent it to me first. They inboxed it to me. Then I saw a couple people sharing it around. So I asked my kids about it. They say they saw it," she told News4Jax on Friday. "They might do searches and different things like that and one person might get through. I just didn’t want to take that chance."
AirDrop is a Bluetooth-operated sharing method on iPhones that gives the ability to share a message with many people at once as long as those people are within 6 to 30 feet.
"It relies on the Apple iCloud contacts and can be open to just about anybody," said technology expert Christopher Hamer.
Hamer said the sharing option is becoming more popular. Parents of Lee students are worried it’s too popular after someone used it to send the school threat.
"It spreads like wildfire and it’s unfair to the kids because even if it’s a joke, I don’t want my kids to sit there all day ... I don’t want them to be worried all day, like, 'Is something going to happen?'" Stinson said.
In the last year, several students have made school threats in Duval County and surrounding counties. Some have been arrested.
News4Jax learned Lee students’ backpacks and belongings were checked before they entered the classrooms Friday. School staff didn’t find any weapons and there were no interruptions.