Harmony High School Plays St. Cloud With 20 Extra Officers After Fake Shooting Threats

Harmony High School and St. Cloud High School will play their scheduled football game on Friday, October 23, with a heavier police presence. The Osceola County Sheriff's Office confirmed the match would go on after deputies investigated new shooting threats and labeled them false.

The security plan includes 20 additional deputies, K-9 units, and mounted patrol officers. St. Cloud Police Department officers will also be stationed at the venue. This expanded arrangement serves as the agency's official green light for the evening contest.

The threats emerged after a series of events at the school. A tip received Thursday night claimed a shooting would occur during the game. By Friday morning, text messages with the same warning spread among students. Investigators reviewed both the initial tip and the digital messages, concluding neither was genuine.

The false alarms followed the arrest of nine students linked to an assault on a 17-year-old. The attack took place near the school on October 16. The victim was hospitalized and received 11 stitches. Authorities connected the violence to a lunch incident where the teenager intervened in a dispute involving students throwing carrots at a girl.

Deputies arrested the nine students, aged 14 to 18, on October 21. They face felony charges for aggravated battery and inciting a riot. Investigators also examined a claim that the injured teenager was behind the shooting threats. They found that allegation false as well, though they have not identified the true source of the warnings or their link to the victim.

Captain Kim Montes of the Osceola County Sheriff's Office warned that the false reports could lead to further legal action. "False reports of a shooting will not be tolerated and if the suspect is identified, that person will be charged," Montes said. As of Friday, the origin of the threats remained unknown.