A 15-year-old Apopka boy was arrested today, Friday, September 20, following threats made in social media against Apopka High School, police say.
Isaiah Lester has been charged with the following:
*Felony: Written or Electronic Threats to Kill, Cause Bodily Injury, or Conduct a Mass Shooting or Act of Terrorism
*Misdemeanor: Disruption of a School Function
On September 20 at approximately 7 a.m., the Apopka Police Department was notified of a threat made against Apopka High School during a live-streamed pep rally, where the threat was posted in the chat. As a precaution, the school was immediately placed on hold.
The Apopka Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Unit and School Resource Unit promptly launched an investigation.
Through investigative efforts and collaboration with the Orange County Public Schools District Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the individual responsible, Lester, was quickly identified and taken into custody.
“The Apopka Police Department takes threats of violence seriously, and this behavior will not be tolerated,” Apopka Deputy Chief Jerome Miller was quoted as saying in a news statement. “Public safety remains our top priority, and we acted swiftly to address the threat. Thanks to the prompt actions of school staff, our dedicated School Resource Officers, the Criminal Investigations Division, the Orange County Public Schools District Police, and our federal partners, we were able to resolve this situation without harm to any students, faculty, or community members.”
Police say they want to ensure that the safety of the students, teachers, and community is paramount, that every measure was taken to ensure the situation was neutralized, and that police will continue to work with all relevant agencies to maintain a safe and secure environment for everyone.
“I want to thank the Apopka Police Department for their quick response. They, along with all of our law enforcement partners, work tirelessly to investigate each and every report of a threat,” OCPS District Police Chief Bryan Holmes was quoted as saying in a news statement. “Today’s arrest is proof that social media threats or any threat against a school or student will not be tolerated. We will continue to encourage anyone who sees something, to say something, notify a trusted adult and report it to law enforcement through Fortify FL. We urge everyone not to forward or repost any threat you see, immediately report it. There are serious consequences for those that forward or repost a threat through text or social media.”
The Apopka Chief and The Planter are weekly community newspapers, independently owned and family operated, that have served the greater Apopka area in Central Florida since 1923 and 1965 respectively.
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