MIAMI — An incident occurred at American Senior High School that caused alarm: “We need to treat this as an active shooter situation,” stated the voice on the communication device. This led law enforcement and emergency services to quickly respond. However, it was later revealed to be a false alarm.
The Miami-Dade Schools Police emphasized that making such threats carries long-lasting consequences. “People often fail to consider the future implications when they apply for jobs. This could come back to haunt them when seeking employment, applying for the military, or enrolling in college,” explained Interim Chief Ivan Silva of the Miami-Dade Schools Police.
Fifteen-year-old Nicholas Gnann is well-acquainted with these repercussions. “I regret it every single day,” he admitted. He used to be an outstanding student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School until an incident last February during a school assembly.
“They were playing music I didn’t like. And I thought it would be really dark humor if I were to say something awful,” he recounted.
He shared his thoughts on Snapchat.
“It was something like, ‘I want to kill these two individuals and I want their friends and family to suffer too.'”
CBS Miami’s Ted Scouten inquired, “What prompted you to do that?”
“I find dark humor funny, and so do my friends and a lot of people from my generation. So, I posted that,” Nicholas explained.
However, he soon discovered that his post was far from amusing; instead, it resulted in serious consequences. He was charged with making written threats, a felony offense.
“At the time, I thought the worst that could happen is a month-long suspension. It never crossed my mind that I might get arrested, sent to juvenile detention, and face a trial,” Nicholas admitted.
“He’s never been in trouble,” his father, Will, clarified. “He excels in his studies, takes honors classes, and is actively involved in school activities like chorus and theatre. He consistently achieves high grades,” Will added.
Will realizes that these consequences could affect his son’s future for years to come.
“When you fill out college applications, I remember a few of them specifically ask if you’ve ever been expelled from school. He’ll have to answer ‘yes.’ In the highly competitive landscape of many schools, this could be a significant obstacle,” he shared.
Nicholas has a message of caution for his peers.
“I want every young person who posts on social media to understand that this can happen to you. It’s not a joke, it’s something you shouldn’t do. It’s against the law and it’s a serious matter,” Nicholas warned.
He has since stopped using social media and is still navigating the legal process. His next court appearance is scheduled for September.
