South Carolina high school student accused of threatening 'round 2 of Florida'

SPARTANBURG, SC (FOX 46 WJZY) - A South Carolina high school student has been arrested in connection with a Snapchat post warning of a "round two of Florida."

According to Spartanburg School District 3, school officials were made aware of a threat to the safety of students and staff at Broome High School in the early morning hours of Thursday, Feb. 15.

Spartanburg County Sheriff's spokesman Lt. Kevin Bobo said in a statement a Broome High School student's parent alerted deputies about the social media threat Wednesday night. Bobo said the Snapchat photo depicted a student wearing a mask and holding an assault rifle.

The Sheriff's Department launched and an investigation and as a result, a 9th grade Broome High School student was arrested. The freshman told deputies the message was "intended to be a joke."

Spartanburg School District 3 spokeswoman Sherri Horton tells the Spartanburg Herald-Journal the threat is nonetheless being taken seriously. She said the timing of the message, which came just hours after the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, that killed 17 people, heightened the perception of the threat.

The student is charged with disturbing schools.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.