C.J. Gish
The Gainesville Police Department (GPD) responded to Gainesville High School’s (GHS) fifth bomb threat this school year on Monday morning.
The hoax – called into a student’s phone from an unknown number and reported to the front office, according to GPD spokesperson Graham Glover – marks at least the 20th false bomb and/or mass shooting threat since Aug. 19 in the Alachua County Public Schools (ACPS) district.
GPD responded at 11:10 a.m. and students were evacuated to the GHS softball field and were eventually dismissed from school early. UF Police Department K-9 units and GPD officers cleared the school twice by 3 p.m.
There are no suspects at this time, according to GPD.
This is the first hoax called in since Oct.26 when an Eastside student posted a false report on Instagram in the morning and was arrested that evening.
From Aug. 19 through Oct. 26, six Alachua County schools received 19 false bomb and/or mass shooting threats that included Eastside (five threats), Buchholz (four), Gainesville (four), Newberry High (four), Hawthorne (one) and Newberry’s Oakview Middle School (one). Of the 19 false reports, three cases still remain open—including two hoaxes at Buchholz (Sept. 1 and Sept. 2) and one at Gainesville High (Sept. 30).
To date, local law enforcement has made arrests in 16 of the 19 hoaxes while officers and detectives have amassed countless hours responding to, clearing buildings and investigating each threat.
Story timeline since Aug. 19:
- Buchholz evacuated for bomb threat (Aug. 19)
- Buchholz receives third bomb threat (Sept. 2)
- Buchholz cleared after fourth bomb threat (Sept. 7)
- FBI assisting Buchholz bomb threat investigations (Sept. 8)
- Buchholz student arrested for bomb threats (Sept. 13)
- BHS student used grandma’s account for bomb threats (Sept. 17)
- ACSO clears Newberry HS bomb threat (Sept. 23)
- Newberry HS cleared after bomb scare (Sept. 24)
- Newberry HS receives all-clear from threat (Sept. 27)
- Bomb threats hit 4 Alachua County schools (Sept. 28)
- Gainesville High cleared after bomb hoax (Sept. 29)
- Threats on Newberry schools come at high costs (Sept. 29)
- NHS students detained in bomb threat probe (Sept. 30)
- Sheriff: Bomb threat suspects to be tried as adults (Sept. 30)
- Two NHS students arrested for bomb threats (Sept. 30)
- Newberry rebounding after week of threats (Oct. 1)
- GPD makes arrest in GH bomb threat case (Oct. 1)
- Eastside HS receives third bomb hoax (Oct. 5)
- GPD arrests second GHS bomb threat suspect (Oct. 5)
- ACSO arrests Eastside bomb threat suspects (Oct. 6)
- ACSO arrests eSchool student in Eastside bomb threat (Oct. 6)
- Eastside student arrested following bomb threat (Oct. 26)
- ACSO makes Hawthorne bomb threat arrest (Oct. 30)
- ACSO, GPD continue bomb threat investigations (Dec. 14)
With reporting by Suzette Cook