FORT MYERS, Fla. — Last Friday, Nov. 13th, two separate threats of violence were made towards Gateway Charter School in Lee County.
Deputies and K-9 units quickly searched every square inch of the school’s property and subsequently found the threat to be non-credible. And while every assurance is in place to make sure students were, and still remain, safe, the person who made those threats has yet to be identified.
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Crime Stoppers is asking the community, and students specifically, to come forward with any information they have on the person who wrote these threats. Making a threat of school violence is a felony crime with long-lasting repercussions, which only begin with an arrest record.
“We are confident that there are young adults who know exactly who made the threat at Gateway Charter School, and we need them to come forward anonymously to report what they know,” said Trish Routte, Crime Stoppers Coordinator. “Until we determine who is responsible, we don’t know what their mindset was when making these threats. But let it be known that these threats are no joke – it’s not funny to make statements like that to get out of class or disrupt the school day. When this individual is tracked down, and they will be, that felony arrest will impact every single thing in their future – from college opportunities to job applications. And to students who may not be coming forward in order to protect a friend, please don’t remain quiet. A true friend wouldn’t ask you to stay quiet about something as serious as this.”
Anyone with information on the person responsible for the Gateway threats is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS (8477). All callers will remain anonymous and will be eligible for a cash reward of up to $3,000. Tips may also be made online at www.southwestfloridacrimestoppers.com or on the P3Tips mobile app.
