Polk County, FL – A high school sophomore from Winter Haven was arrested Monday, September 15, 2025, after allegedly making threatening phone calls to two Polk County schools, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
The School Threat Assessment Team (STAT) said Auburndale High School first received a call at 11:05 a.m. in which a male voice claimed he was in a restroom with an AK-47, hearing voices, and might take hostages. Minutes later, at 11:11 a.m., Winter Haven High School received a separate call from a male who allegedly stated he had a rifle and planned on “shooting up the school at some point today.”
According to detectives, both calls were traced to the same phone number, which was linked to a Winter Haven High School student’s household in Lake Alfred. Investigators interviewed the student and his mother before placing him under arrest.
Sheriff Grady Judd emphasized the seriousness of such threats, stating, “Phone calls like this aren’t funny… anybody stupid enough to fool around like this is going to find out when we charge them with very serious criminal charges.”
The student was transported to the Juvenile Assessment Center in Bartow. He faces charges including False Report of Weapon of Mass Destruction (two counts), Use of a 2-Way Communication Device in Commission of a Felony (two counts), and Providing False Information to Law Enforcement during an Investigation.
No weapons were found at either school, and no injuries were reported.
This article was produced by a journalist and may include AI-assisted input. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.
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