Florida County elementary schools ban school bags after gun threat

Elementary schools in a Florida county have announced that students will no longer be allowed to bring school bags and duffel bags to school after a post appeared on social media that appeared to contain threats of gun violence against the school.

On September 8, officials with the Madison County School District in north-central Florida said they were taking extra security precautions following the September 4 school shooting in Winder, Georgia, that left two students and two teachers dead, according to local reports.

Students in kindergarten through eighth grade would be prohibited from bringing school bags to school, while students in ninth through twelfth grade would have their bags searched. All lunch bags and handbags would also be searched upon entering school premises.

In a statement to NewsweekRobin Hill, human resources director for the Madison County School District, said the security measures apply to the entire district, adding that the district is working with the sheriff’s department to investigate “a social media threat to Madison schools.”

Hill said Newsweek that a 13-year-old male juvenile from Madison County “has been identified as the individual responsible for the social media threats posted on Instagram.”

According to Hill and a Facebook post by Sheriff David Harper of the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, the perpetrator was arrested and is currently in custody. They added that “the investigation will continue until it is determined that the juvenile acted alone.”

Just days after students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo and teachers Richard Aspinwall and Cristina Irimie were killed in a shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia. Nine other people, eight students and one teacher, were also injured and are expected to recover soon. Newsweek previously reported.

Colt Gray, 14, and his father Colin Gray, 54, were arrested in connection with the shooting and appeared in court on Sept. 6. Colt is charged with four counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of the four people and will be tried as an adult. Newsweek previously reported.

Colin reportedly told investigators he bought the gun as a Christmas present for his son in December 2023. He is charged with two counts of second-degree murder, four counts of manslaughter and eight counts of child abuse. Newsweek previously reported.

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