Opelika police said Thursday afternoon that they traced a bomb threat made Wednesday at Opelika High School to a 13-year-old juvenile from Florida through an investigation into the incident.
The threat was called in at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday, according to the Opelika Police Department, which said the juvenile did not have a connection to the school or Opelika.
"OPD is working with the District Attorney's Office and authorities in Florida to determine the next steps in the investigation," OPD said in a public alert on its website.
Police said the threat was not credible, as K-9 units from OPD, the Auburn Police Division and the Lee County Sheriff's Office did not locate any explosives during a sweep of the school.
"There was a Snapchat screenshot that was circulating online," OPD said in reference to rumors surrounding the threat on social media. "It was determined that the photo was from a threat for another school, in a different town on a separate date and had no relation to this incident."
Opelika police said members of the public should take care in spreading rumors or sharing information without context as it may hinder official investigations. The department said it encourages people to download its Opelika Police mobile app, turn alerts on and follow its social media pages to receive accurate information about ongoing incidents and investigations.
"In instances like this, public information will be relayed as quickly and efficiently as safely possible," OPD said in the alert.
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Tim Nail, senior in journalism, is the community editor of The Auburn Plainsman.
