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Authorities: Students admit to threat made at Orange Park Jr. High, claim it ‘was a joke’

Threat at Orange Park school just 1 of others recently made at Jacksonville-area schools

Reported threats made toward schools in Northeast Florida have captured the attention of parents and law enforcement -- and police want students to know, the threats can come with serious consequences.

Mandi Jo said her daughter is in the eighth grade at Orange Park Junior High School. She said she got a voicemail from the school Friday explaining that a threat had been made.

“Told us it was nothing serious,” Jo said. “It’s a very scary situation.”

The Orange Park Police Department released a statement Friday. It reads in part:

“This past week, OPPD School Resource Officers responded to reports of threats within Orange Park Junior High. The efforts of officers have identified students involved in different incidents regarding the threats. The students made admissions to making the threat and claimed it was a joke. The students have been disciplined in accordance with the Clay County District School’s Student Code of Conduct.”

Another threat was reported Wednesday at Keystone Heights Junior/Senior High School.

The Clay County District Schools Police Department posted a statement that reads in part:

“This afternoon we were made aware that a student wrote a threatening message toward Keystone Heights Junior/Senior High School on the wall in one of the school’s restrooms. The staff and our officers took immediate action upon this report.”

It wasn’t just in Clay County. Landmark Middle School in Duval County posted on its Facebook page that the school was implementing greater security measures including screenings, bag checks and additional officers on Friday.

And another was made at a school in Columbia County, where it’s sheriff’s office on Friday posted:

“School Resource Deputies have been made aware of some safety concerns involving Fort White Middle School. Some of these concerns have been making their way around social media. Deputies and school officials have worked together to investigate the information which has been circulating. At this time, we do not believe there to be a credible threat associated with this information.”


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