Sheriff clears fake shooting threats ahead of Harmony football

The Friday night matchup between Harmony High School and St. Cloud High School will proceed as planned, despite a weekend of confusion over alleged shooting threats. The Osceola County Sheriff's Office confirmed the game remains on the schedule for Oct. 23 after determining the reports were false. The announcement comes after a week of heightened tension following a violent incident near the school.

Authorities first received a tip on Thursday night claiming a shooting would occur at the stadium. Text messages with the same warning began circulating around the school on Friday morning. Deputies investigated both the initial report and the digital messages. Officials stated that neither threat was genuine.

To ensure safety, the sheriff's office is deploying additional deputies to the venue. K-9 units and mounted patrol officers will also be present. Officers from the St. Cloud Police Department have been assigned to the event as well. This expanded security detail accompanies the agency's decision to allow the football game to start on time.

The threats appear linked to a beating that occurred on Oct. 16. A 17-year-old student was attacked by a group of peers near the school. He was transported to a hospital and required 11 stitches. Investigators determined the assault stemmed from a lunch period incident where the teenager intervened in a dispute. He reportedly stood up to students who were throwing carrots at another girl.

Nine students, aged 14 to 18, were arrested on Oct. 21 in connection with that assault. They face charges of felony aggravated battery and felony inciting a riot. The person behind the false shooting threats claimed responsibility for the hoax while attributing it to the injured teenager. Investigators found that attribution to be false as well.

As of Friday, the sheriff's office had not identified the originator of the threats. It was unclear if the person had any relationship with the injured student. OCSO Captain Kim Montes said the false reports could lead to criminal charges. "False reports of a shooting will not be tolerated and if the suspect is identified, that person will be charged," Montes said.

The game will now take place with the added police presence. The nine arrested students remain in the local justice system for their separate charges. The stadium security team is preparing for the evening kickoff.