Police: 12-year-old girl faces charges after posting threats to Broward schools

MIAMI – The Broward Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of a 12-year-old girl accused of making social media threats to county schools.
Officials said the Lauderhill girl, who has not been identified, posted threats to several schools across Broward, including schools in Lauderdale Lakes, Lauderhill, Fort Lauderdale and Sunrise.
“When confronted with the information by detectives, the student confessed to making the threats and said she intended them as a joke. She said she did not intend to carry out the threat and that she had already deleted the account,” officials said. 
The minor was taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center for processing after her arrest. 
She faces charges of making written threats to kill/conduct a mass shooting and unlawful use of a two-way communication device. 
BSO reminds the public that making school threats is no joke. 
Under Florida law, whether it is said aloud, written in text, or posted on social media, an individual can be charged with a felony for written threats to kill, do bodily injury, or conduct a mass shooting.
Earlier this week, a 14-year-old girl, also found herself facing charges, accused of threats to area schools.
The girl was arrested on Saturday for making online threats against schools. 
Monday, authorities said there were no credible threats to Broward schools.
The latest threats were posted earlier Saturday in multiple stories on Instagram, the Broward Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Sunday.
“One post listed several schools across Broward County that would be targeted with violence,” the sheriff’s office said. “Other posts contained additional threats of a school shooting or other violence. Multiple individuals saw these posts online and reported them to law enforcement.”
The teen, who authorities did not name, admitted to authorities that she made the threats and said they were intended to be a joke, the sheriff’s office said. Authorities didn’t say which schools were named in the online messages.
The girl, a high school student, was taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center in Fort Lauderdale and faces charges including “making written threats to kill/conduct a mass shooting” and “unlawful use of a two-way communication device,” according to the sheriff’s office.