Hoax Call Chaos: Florida School Evacuated as 11-Year-Old’s Prank Triggers Massive Law Enforcement Response Because He Wanted To Go Home Early

In a shocking turn of events, an 11-year-old boy has been taken into custody for allegedly making a hoax 911 call that falsely reported a school shooter at Horizon Academy in Ocala, Florida. The incident led to a swift and extensive response from law enforcement agencies, culminating in the evacuation of the school building.

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office received the distressing call on Tuesday at approximately 9:39 a.m., prompting a thorough investigation. Fortunately, authorities determined that there were no armed assailants, weapons, or injured individuals within the school premises, as stated in a Facebook post by the sheriff’s office.

Upon further inquiry, it was revealed that the motive behind the false call was the boy’s desire to leave school early. Sheriff Billy Woods expressed his strong disapproval, stating, “This student put fear into his fellow students, staff, and parents. For what? A prank? Because you wanted to go home? I will not tolerate my young citizens being fearful of going to school because you wanted to be a ‘jokester’ in hopes of going home.”

The released audio of the 911 call captured the boy claiming, “Help me. There’s a shooter walking through the hallway.” Despite the lack of legitimacy in the report, the school was placed on lockdown as a precaution, causing visible distress among students and staff.

In response to the incident, a significant number of law enforcement personnel, including MCSO deputies, detectives, SWAT, Aviation, and K-9 units, as well as officers from the Ocala Police Department, the Florida Highway Patrol, and other state and federal agencies, mobilized to ensure the safety of the school community.

The young prankster was charged with a false report of a mass shooting, utilizing a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony, disruption of a school function, and misuse of the 911 emergency system. Sheriff Woods emphasized that, under the law, the individual responsible for a false report must pay restitution for the extensive law enforcement response, amounting to “hundreds upon hundreds of man-hours.”

As the legal process unfolds, the 11-year-old is confronted with the consequences of his actions, with Sheriff Woods noting that he will need to “mow a lot of lawns” to cover the incurred costs.