ACSO arrests eighth grader for bomb threats

A 13-year-old eighth grader was arrested on multiple charges after she confessed to emailing bomb threats to Kanapaha Middle School and Buchholz High School early Monday morning.

According to an Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) release, detectives in the ACSO Criminal Investigation Division determined the source of the threats was Kanapaha student Ja’Neiah Anthony. After speaking with detectives, Anthony confessed to sending both threats.

Anthony was arrested on charged with Written or electronic threats to commit an act of terrorism, Disruption of a school function and Unlawful use of a two-way communication device. She was transported to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice and turned over to their custody.

The day started at 6:20 a.m. when deputies in the ACSO Juvenile Relations Bureau were contacted by Alachua County Public Schools administrators from Buchholz and Kanapaha related to bomb threats received via email.

ACSO responded to both schools with members of the Patrol Division, Juvenile Relations Bureau, Bomb Squad and K-9 Unit, along with additional assistance from the University of Florida Police Department’s explosive detection dogs.

Both schools were placed on lockdown with students eventually being sent home for the day. By late morning, law enforcement officials cleared both schools and no suspicious items were found.

This is the first bomb threat in Alachua County this school year compared to 20 received at seven ACPS schools during the 2021-22 school year and one mass shooting threat sent in the 2022-23 school year.