By Special to the Lake Okeechobee News
OKEECHOBEE -- There have been multiple postings on numerous social media sites regarding a school shooting occurring in Okeechobee County.
Sheriff Noel E. Stephen stated, “Our office has spent the last several days dealing with an inappropriate racial comment made on social media that spilled into our high school. My deputies and school officials went to work to identify the source of the rumor. We were quickly redirected to deal with fights between students because the same inappropriate statement was being manifested by social media. Arrests have been made.
We now have the same social media manifesting a “guns in school” and a “guns at fair’ statement. Both Chief Peterson and I have all our resources working these statements. We have found no substantiating facts to support these “rumors” at this time and are diligently working to exhaust each one of these rumors.
All schools have been made aware of threats and appropriate security measures have been implemented and enhanced to assure our children’s safety is first and foremost.”
The Okeechobee County School District also released a statement on the posts and disputed alleged reports that a gun was confiscated on one of their campuses. The statement reads as follows:
“The School District is aware of several social media postings referencing school safety. Please be assured that weapons have not been found on any school campus. All schools are quiet and safe. School District administration and law enforcement personnel worked diligently through the night following all potential leads. No viable threats were identified. If you are aware of a specific threat, please report that threat to law enforcement or school administration. Thank you.”