HERNANDO COUNTY, FLORIDA – A student at Winding Waters K-8 in Hernando County has been arrested in connection with a false bomb threat targeting Explorer K-8. The incident, which unfolded on January 19, prompted a swift response from local law enforcement.
Deputy Angel Lara, the School Resource Deputy at Explorer K-8, was alerted by Assistant Principal Andrew Macgregor about alarming text messages received by a student. The texts, sent from an unknown number, included a message threatening to “bomb your school,” specifically naming Explorer K-8 on Northcliffe Boulevard, Spring Hill, FL.
Upon receiving this information, Deputy Lara immediately coordinated with the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) to deploy additional resources and implement bomb threat protocols at the school. A comprehensive search by deputies found no suspicious items or contraband on the campus, allowing students and staff to safely return.
Simultaneously, the HCSO Crime Analysis Unit traced the origin of the threatening texts, linking them to a phone number registered to the parent of a Winding Waters K-8 student. This discovery led to the arrest of the student responsible for the false threat.