Sheriff Deploys K-9s and Mounted Units for Friday Football After Clearing False Threats

The Harmony High School versus St. Cloud High School football game is proceeding on Friday, October 23, with an expanded police presence after the Osceola County Sheriff's Office determined recent shooting threats were false. The decision follows a week of local tension sparked by a student attack that resulted in nine arrests and one hospitalization.

The sequence began on October 16, when several students allegedly assaulted a 17-year-old near the Harmony campus. The victim was transported to a hospital where doctors administered 11 stitches. Officials stated the beating stemmed from a lunch incident where the teenager intervened after a group of students threw carrots at a female classmate. On October 21, deputies arrested nine students, aged 14 to 18, on charges of felony aggravated battery and felony inciting a riot.

The football game remained on the calendar despite the arrests, but new security measures were triggered by a tip received on Thursday night. The report claimed a shooting would occur during the Friday matchup. By Friday morning, text messages containing the same threat had circulated among students. OCSO deputies investigated both the initial tip and the digital messages, concluding that neither threat was genuine.

To manage the situation, the sheriff's office announced that additional deputies would secure the venue alongside K-9 units and mounted patrol officers. Personnel from the St. Cloud Police Department would also join the effort at the high school. These arrangements were confirmed as the agency officially cleared the event to move forward on Friday evening.

Investigators also examined a specific allegation that the injured teenager from the October 16 attack was responsible for the false threats. OCSO determined this claim was also false. As of Friday, the office had not identified the originator of the threats or determined if that individual had any connection to the injured student.

OCSO Captain Kim Montes stated that the department would treat the false reports seriously. “False reports of a shooting will not be tolerated and if the suspect is identified, that person will be charged,” Montes said. The search for the person who originated the threats remained open as of the start of the school day on Friday.