Sarasota High not the target of online threats to "SHS," police say

Sarasota police this morning say a Wednesday night threat on social media against "SHS" that drew some attention locally originated in Ohio and isn't directed at Sarasota High School.

The social media post originated from a Facebook account in Springfield, Ohio, not the city of Sarasota, according to reports from SPD.

Sarasota police have been in direct contact with the Springfield Police Division in Ohio, and are confident there are no threats against Sarasota High School, or to any students or faculty.

“The Sarasota Police Department and Sarasota County Schools appreciate the faculty and students reporting this social post immediately,” the police department said in a release.

This is the second social media scare in the county since the mass shooting at a high school in Parkland left 17 people dead on Feb. 14.

A threat following the Parkland shooting that came via Snapchat, with the message “Round 2 Florida.” Authorities determined that originated in South Carolina, and a suspect was arrested.

Read: Sheriff's Office recommends placing armed veterans, retired police in county schools

Over the weekend, authorities were also alerted to a possible threat to Riverview High School, prompting Principal Kathy Wilks to send a message to parents and students on Feb. 18. But in that case, no threat had been made, and there was only concern involving an unidentified student’s past behavior.

In the case of the SHS threat, Springfield police posted on their Facebook page Wednesday night they have reason to believe it is a hoax, but they were still working to track down the person who made the post.