St. Cloud Game On After Threats

Harmony High School and St. Cloud High School played their scheduled football game on Friday evening, October 23, under increased security. Law enforcement officers confirmed that the threats of a shooting were false, allowing the contest to proceed as planned after an investigation into recent student arrests.

The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office received a tip on Thursday night claiming a shooting would take place during the event. By Friday morning, text messages repeating the threat circulated among students. Deputies examined both the initial tip and the digital messages, determining that neither report was genuine. The agency announced that the game would continue despite the scare.

Security at the venue included additional sheriff’s deputies, K-9 units, and mounted patrol officers. Members of the St. Cloud Police Department also stationed themselves around the school. This combined force was deployed specifically to monitor the grounds and manage the crowd during the evening matchup.

Investigators looked into claims that the injured teenager from a previous attack originated the false threats. Officials found that allegation to be false as well. As of Friday, the sheriff’s office had not identified the person who started the rumors or established a connection between that individual and the injured student.

The background conflict stems from an incident on October 16 near Harmony High School. A 17-year-old student was beaten by a group of peers and transported to a hospital, where medical staff gave the teenager 11 stitches. Authorities linked the physical assault to a lunchtime dispute earlier that day. The victim had intervened when a group of students threw carrots at a girl during the meal period.

Nine students, with ages ranging from 14 to 18, were arrested on October 21 in connection with the beating. They faced charges of felony aggravated battery and felony inciting a riot. The recent false threats emerged following these arrests, creating tension in the school community ahead of the sporting event.

OCSO Captain Kim Montes stated that the department would pursue criminal charges against whoever issued the false reports. Montes said, “False reports of a shooting will not be tolerated and if the suspect is identified, that person will be charged.” The source of the threats remained unknown as the game concluded on Friday.