Osceola Sheriff Confirms False Shooting Threats Before Friday's Harmony Football Game

The football game between Harmony High School and St. Cloud High School is set for Friday evening, October 23, after the Osceola County Sheriff's Office determined that reported shooting threats were false. Authorities are deploying additional deputies, K-9 units, and mounted patrol officers to secure the event. The St. Cloud Police Department will also station officers at the venue.

The decision to proceed follows a week of activity surrounding a student assault. On October 16, a 17-year-old was beaten near Harmony High School. The victim was taken to a hospital and received 11 stitches. Officials stated the beating stemmed from a lunch incident where the student intervened while a group threw carrots at a girl. Nine students, ages 14 to 18, were arrested on October 21. They face charges of felony aggravated battery and felony inciting a riot.

The threat of a shooting emerged Thursday night when the sheriff's office received a tip. By Friday morning, text messages spreading the same claim circulated among students. Investigators examined the initial tip and the digital messages. They found neither account to be authentic. The investigation also tested the allegation that the injured teenager originated the threats. Officials ruled that claim false as well.

Captain Kim Montes of the Osceola County Sheriff's Office addressed the false reports. She stated that the agency would not tolerate false reports of a shooting. Montes added that if the suspect is identified, that person will be charged. As of Friday, the origin of the threats remained unknown. The sheriff's office has not established a relationship between the threatener and the injured student.

The expanded security plan includes mounted patrol officers alongside standard law enforcement personnel. This arrangement accompanies the agency's confirmation that the game will go ahead. The Osceola County Sheriff's Office released the details of the security deployment after completing its review of the threats.

The nine students arrested on October 21 are charged with felony aggravated battery and felony inciting a riot. The assault occurred the week prior to the scheduled football game. The sheriff's office continues to look for the source of the false shooting reports. No arrests have been made specifically for the false threat claims as of Friday.