St. Cloud football game starts on time after police dismiss shooting threats

Students, fans, and families gathered at the St. Cloud High School stadium on Friday, Oct. 23, for a football game that went ahead as planned. The match against Harmony High School began with a larger police presence than usual. Officials confirmed the event would proceed after investigating reports of a shooting.

The Osceola County Sheriff's Office received the first tip on Thursday night. It claimed a shooter would target the game. By Friday morning, text messages with the same threat had spread through the school community. Deputies reviewed both the initial report and the digital messages. They found no evidence that the threats were real.

Security for the evening included extra deputies, K-9 units, and mounted patrol officers. Officers from the St. Cloud Police Department also posted at the venue. This arrangement was announced alongside the decision to keep the game on the schedule.

Investigators traced the false threats to an allegation involving a local student. The person behind the threats claimed a teenager injured in a prior attack was responsible. Police checked that claim and found it was also false. They had not yet identified who started the rumors or if that person knew the injured student.

The context for the security surge traces back to Oct. 16. A 17-year-old was beaten by several students near Harmony High School. The victim required 11 stitches at a hospital. Officials linked the violence to a lunchroom incident earlier that day. The student had intervened when a group threw carrots at a girl.

On Oct. 21, police arrested nine students in connection with the beating. Their ages ranged from 14 to 18. They faced charges of felony aggravated battery and felony inciting a riot. The arrests increased attention on the schools and their upcoming athletic events.

Captain Kim Montes of the Osceola County Sheriff's Office said false reports of a shooting would not be tolerated. She stated that if the suspect is identified, that person will be charged. As of Friday, the source of the threats remained unknown.