Harmony High School football game goes on after false shooting threats

Eleven stitches were required to close a wound on a 17-year-old student after a physical altercation near Harmony High School last week, an injury that helped trigger a chain of events leading to expanded security at this week's football game. The Oct. 16 incident serves as the backdrop for Friday night's contest, which remains on the schedule despite two separate reports of a planned shooting.

The Osceola County Sheriff's Office stated that it first received a tip Thursday night alleging a shooting would take place at the game. By Friday morning, text messages containing the same threat had begun circulating among students. Deputies investigated both the initial tip and the viral messages, concluding that neither threat was genuine. The agency confirmed the game would proceed with an increased police presence.

Additional deputies will stand alongside K-9 units and mounted patrol officers to secure the perimeter. Officers from the St. Cloud Police Department will also be on site. The sheriff's office linked the false alarms to the recent arrests of nine students for their roles in the earlier attack.

Investigators determined that the person spreading the false threats claimed the injured teenager was responsible for them. Officials examined this specific allegation and found it to be false as well. The sheriff's office has not yet identified the originator of the threats or determined if that individual has any connection to the injured student.

The original assault occurred during a lunch break on Oct. 16. The teenager intervened when a group of students threw carrots at a girl. The beating followed that lunchtime incident. On Oct. 21, authorities arrested nine students, ranging in age from 14 to 18. They face charges of felony aggravated battery and felony inciting a riot.

Captain Kim Montes of the sheriff's office addressed the impact of the false reports on the community. “False reports of a shooting will not be tolerated and if the suspect is identified, that person will be charged,” Montes said. The agency continues to work to identify the source of the threats as of Friday.

The game is scheduled to begin Friday evening. The expanded security plan includes both county and local law enforcement resources. The nine arrested students are in connection with the Oct. 16 attack, not the threats themselves. The injured student was hospitalized after the beating and has since recovered from the 11 stitches.