Statement from Alachua County Sheriff’s Office

ALACHUA COUNTY, Fla. – On the afternoon of Thursday, January 8, 2026, detectives from the Intelligence Led Policing (ILP) Unit were approached by investigators from the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office with a request for support.

Earlier that day, the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office had responded to a dire situation involving threats of a mass shooting and a possible explosive device at Columbia High School, located in Columbia Station, Ohio. The alarming call was made by a young male who declared, “I’m about to call in a bomb threat, I’m about to run in your school and kill everyone. I’m outside with an AR-15.”

In response, the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office, along with personnel from Columbia Township Fire, Lorain County Metro Parks, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol, swiftly arrived at the school. Following a comprehensive investigation, it was determined that the incident was a “swatting” call, which is a false claim intended to provoke a large emergency response.

The investigation by Lorain County detectives revealed that the IP address linked to the Google Voice number used for the threatening call traced back to a residence in Hawthorne.

Members of the ACSO ILP Unit immediately went to work, where they gathered additional information that led them to a home in Cross Creek, occupied by a family that includes two juvenile males. While speaking with the caregiver of both young men, Detectives learned that the voice on the recorded phone call was that of a 12-year-old boy who lives inside the home. The young man was detained and brought to the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, where he was questioned in the presence of his guardian.

At the completion of the interview, Detectives established probable cause to charge him with the following violations of Florida State Statute:

790.163 – False report concerning planting a bomb, an explosive, or a weapon of mass destruction, or concerning the use of firearms in a violent manner.

934.215 – Unlawful use of a two-way communications device

ACSO Detectives notified the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office of the arrest before transporting the juvenile to the Department of Juvenile Justice Detention Facility.

Sheriff Scott wants to commend the collaboration between our Detectives and the Investigators with the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office, who seamlessly worked together with the common mission of holding this young man accountable for very poor actions that led to mass panic at Columbia High School.