Released by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office …
WASHINGTON COUNTY, FL; January 28, 2020) – An anonymous report of a firearm on a Washington County school campus activated secure lockdowns of Vernon schools yesterday afternoon.
At 1:58 p.m., January 27th, a WCSO School Resource Deputy, stationed at the Vernon High School, received a Fortify FL alert stating, “I’m at school with a gun.” The SRD responded immediately by placing the school on an active lockdown to secure the campus.
Additional law enforcement responded, and a search of the campus was conducted by deputies and school district personnel, clearing the alleged threat. As the lockdown was being released, information was provided to deputies, which led to the initial lockdown being reactivated and extended at VHS and an additional lockdown of the Vernon Middle School campus.
The VMS campus was searched, and the threat was deemed unfounded.
An investigation was then conducted by WCSO investigators, which led to the source of the statement being identified.
On January 28th, a 14-year-old was arrested after admitting to investigators that he was angry with his being placed into detention at school and accessed the Fortify FL site, while attending In School Detention, and submitted the statement.
Ehrie is now facing a felony charge of falsely reporting the use of a firearm in a violent manner and the interruption of school functions, which is a second degree misdemeanor.