Update: Brevard Schools Locked Down Wednesday

By  //  December 19, 2012

Investigation Launched

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Most Brevard County schools were placed on lockdown until early dismissal Wednesday following a perceived threat of violence made by a man yesterday who was facing disciplinary action by the bank where he worked.

Brevard County Sheriff Department Public Information Officer Major Vic DeSantis said the decision to lock down schools in Brevard was made solely by Brevard Public Schools security staff.

DeSantis said a bank employee who was being disciplined Tuesday made a statement in anger that threatened violence “worse than the school shooting in Connecticut.”

As a precaution, Brevard Public Schools security decided to lock down most public schools to protect children and staff.

Wednesday was supposed to be early dismissal at a half-day of classes for students because of the Christmas holiday.

DeSantis said some other private schools in Brevard followed suit and locked down school campuses to be safe.

The bank incident is under investigation, but he believes the threats were unsubstaniated.

“We are in  contact with the gentleman who made the threats,” DeSantis said. “We have interviewed him and are continuing our investigation into this matter. We believe it was simply a poor choice of words on his part that set this all into motion.”

30 Comments

  1. Makes me not even want to send my babies to school next year. This world is so scary and its sad as a parent you feel that you have to shield your kids from EVERYTHING NOW!! UGH.. Come one people!

  2. So very sad our nation has come to this. I pray for God to intervene soon. Turning to His Word is our only answer. Please pray for our nation.

  3. Discovery Elementary in Palm Bay was also on lockdown… Didn’t know anything about it until I picked up my daughter.

  4. It is very sad because they should have psych evals in order to get gun licenses like they do for our troops in order to join the military. My child was in the lockdown today and I am thankful he is fine and home with us but if anything had happened I don’t know what I would of done. I hope the jerk who did this is locked away or put into an institution.

  5. So was Meadowlane Primary, and Calvary Chapel Academy… Google School lockdown and today’s date… and prepare to be amazed by all of the activity! Why weren’t we notified of the protocol, procedure, and practice… this is not a random event, but a larger series of events happening all over the state and US too.
    If these are Government Sponsored Precautionary Measures, why weren’t we as parents notified ahead of time that this would happen… Why did I only get a strange text message alerting me that (school name) was in lockdown? I believe someone at the Brevard County School Board has a bit of explaining to do.
    I also heard of schools in north Brevard had lockdowns too.
    I’m a concerned parent of two wonderful kids, who has searched the Brevard County School Board’s website for some sort of security procedure, protocol, or outline to inform me of these steps to take.. and can find NOTHING.
    I called the school board and got nothing, but this is an explanation of the procedure… in verbal form, yet no prior at enrollment notification?
    I called the West Melbourne Police Department, to ask what happened to prompt them to instruct the schools in the area to lockdown? SIC “We received a credible threat, not toward the school but in the area of the school that prompted us to request a lockdown.”

    It would be nice to get a straight answer on this.

  6. Johnson Middle and Eau Gallie H.S. was also in Lock Down.
    It is very scary out there. Trying to teach my children how to
    overcome these situations~where as this world is not helping.
    Yes, we all need GOD. Praying also for our nation.

  7. Sea Park Elementary was on lockdown as well. The best kept secret in Brevard had sherriffs and channel 13 news. So scary 🙁

  8. i was terrified that my school Heritage high was on lock down and no one know what was going on and the teachers had to lock us in for about half an hour to an hour until they had a code yellow I did not like it at all I had to do my exam and its not fun being worried and stress on exam day.

  9. I guess they are making automated calls now. I just received one from the School Board office in viera, from their main number. They locked down the schools and sent out a picture of the individual to all the schools, and kept them on lockdown until the police cleared them to do so. It would have been nice to know about this earlier, but I think they did a good job taking steps to keep the kids safe.

  10. Saturn Elementary school in Cocoa was crawling with deputies and no one could get into the school without going through the office and getting a badge

  11. Maggie:
    I share your comment, however God has now been taken out of our schools by the people. Yet in these times those who wanted God out of our schools are praying for these children. I wish that God would be put back in the schools. And as a Nation we continue good values and prayers .

  12. Sounds like Brevard county has got it under control. Good job guys, I’m sure that all the parents are grateful that there kids are safe and sound.

  13. Heritage High School & Jupiter Elem in NW Palm Bay was also on lockdown. I didn’t receive a notification until 3:45pm.

  14. Both my heart and mind are dealing with mixed emotions wanting to protect my children. My son a 5Th grader at Christa McAuliffe Elementary ( also on lock down) who advised me of a “drill” that was being held today when I asked him after I received the prerecorded call from Brevard County Schools. (2 1/2 hours later) I wanted him to talk to me about his experience and how he felt. He said It was stated “you can come out of the closet now” I have to say at any time i could walk onto school grounds or drive up five feet from my child’s classroom door and walk into a class room, that’s of course after signing in and printing out my own visitor’s badge and walking out the front office with out any questions as to who I am from the staff. My daughter Is 4 and will be attending school at a rate that’s impossible for me to control. The tears falling from my face when she starts Kindergarten wont be that of …my baby girl is growing up so fast and cant believe she starting school. It will be tears of fear that i will be dropping my daughter/son of to there final destination! As parents… as a nation we need to come together not with guns and protective armor but with the reality of the current events of our world and be a part of the solution not the problem!

  15. Westside was also in lockdown…today So scary that we are going thru this. our country is suppose to be united and people are letting the devil things get thru them. We are the ones to show other people that we are united and show them that…the different country that they can also get along. it’s so sad that the united state has fallen short due to taking the things of god out…. I believe in the word of god and it’s written in the bible those who sin and don’t believe in the word falls short in his grace… May god bless America and rebuke the devil from using wake people into doing harm to the good people….

  16. I am very unhappy that Westside did not notify the parents when there was a lock down while are kids are there unaware of what’s going on.. I cried dropping my kids to school on Monday trying to hold my self together but once a gave my daughters teacher a hug that was it… I am thankful for every teacher that teaches our kids but it’s not helping that the schools don’t have a police man in the building. They need to put a buzzer and more camera’s b4 letting any parents or anybody in the school. I feel that every parent should get together and vote for more sercuity in the schools… So our kids could be safe we need to show that we are very serious in this matter that we are not going to let this one go….!!!!

  17. I have two girls who go to Westside, My youngest was locked out of the school when it happend. She is on “safty patrol” and was all alone outside and couldn’t get back into the school. My oldest had no idea what was going on and was never told anything. We were never called from the school. There safty procedures are very lacking. I will not be sending my kids to school tomorrow based on this threat. I won’t take that chance. The guy who made that threat should be prosecuted as much as the Conneticut shooter would have been.

  18. my reason for living attends jupiter in palm bay and I found out via facebook that they were in lockdown this morning….I understand you can’t call all the parents at the drop of a hat but it was a little disheartening to find out via facebook…

  19. “poor choice of words”….from the guy who made the threat…are you serious….. he needs to be charged with a felony…. he made a terroistic threat and he is going to get away with it….. im disgusted because i did not get a phone call until 323pm and it happened way before…and my childrens school was not locked down….we were right near one of the schools….this Officer Major Vic DeSantis needs to take this more serious….esp since he referenced that shooting in ct.

  20. I agree with Harley, my son is young and I had no idea what to do, to go get him or nust stay put, noone has ever told us procedure. Not only that BUT also I didn’t even know about until. Hours after the fact…there needs to be a better way to inform parents and at the VERY least a website that adresses procedure etc…I called wm pd and was told it was “due to increased police activity” which doesn’t explain much at al, couldn’t get through to the school and didn’t receive the call it was ok to get my child until after I had already picked him…this doesn’t seem the best way to do things

  21. i go to jupiter and i was scared to death we saw all the teachers talking then we had to sit in the pod and a kid in our class kept on talking and then the principal comes in and tells us its a drill but no drill lasts 2 hours how stupid do they think we are

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