SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — It has been a busy week for law enforcement agencies across Central Florida this week for public schools.

What You Need To Know

  •  Metal detectors for schools cost about $19,000

  •  Door bolts can also enhance security for $65 each

  •  School safety businesses say sales increased annually last five years

On Tuesday, a shooting threat was investigated at Lake Brantley High School. On Wednesday, in an unrelated incident, a gun was found on a student at Lake Brantley.

On Thursday, an arrest was made at Seminole High, and then on Friday, arrests were made at Boone High School in Orlando, where a pair of students brought a gun to campus. Also, at Heritage Middle School in Volusia County, two students were arrested for posting threats on TikTok and Instagram to commit a school shooting.

Metal detectors are the hot topic once again following this week of incidents.

In a 2023 survey conducted by the National Center for Educational Statistics, it found that only 21% of U.S. school buildings were constructed after the year 2000, while almost 40% were constructed in the 1960s or earlier.

What that says and means is that schools weren’t built with one entrance point. Many older campuses are open.

That’s why parents want to see something to help keep their children safe and give them peace of mind.

It has been a stressful week for Tom Krieger, whose daughter is a ninth-grader at Lake Brantley High School.  

“Personally, very hectic,” he says with his daughter not in school Friday. “The uncertainty, the lack of transparency, not knowing what’s going on.”

His week began on edge when he learned of a threat late Monday night circling on social media. He was disappointed that he didn’t hear anything official from the school or district until after the school day began the next morning.

“When my daughter’s Red Apple dining account gets low, I get a text and a phone call to put money in the account,” Krieger said. “But when it comes to a high school, I get a text message the next morning at 7:15 a.m., when you have a credible information at 10 the night before. It’s unacceptable.”

Tuesday’s threat didn’t turn up anything. But the next day, during his daughter’s second-period class, the school was in lockdown.

“We were all texting each other like we all loved each other,” Tom’s daughter Kylie says. “It was really scary that we had to tell everyone we loved them if nothing happened.”

A student was arrested when found with an unloaded gun.

From 2000-2022 the National Center for Education Statistics reports a total of 131 people killed and another 197 wounded in active shooter incidents at elementary and secondary schools in the country. Krieger said he’s seen enough.

“I would like to see metal detectors,” he said. “Technology has improved tenfold in the last five years. You have devices kids can walk through and not even stop.”

A3 Communications sells metal detectors in the Southeast. It says each metal detector runs about $19,000 and that business has increased annually over the past five years.

“More and more school districts across the country are adopting weapon screening at some level, some are choosing every kid every day, some are choosing a random program,” Kevin Wren, the school advocate for A3 Communications, said. “The days of a school district of not having any type of weapon screening program, we are seeing that come to an end.”

If the budget may not be in place for metal detectors at a district, classroom safety can still be affordable.

Nightlock began as a residential barricade device for safety. Now, following Sandy Hook, they are in over 4,000 schools across the country with a lock costing $65 each.

“The demand is there, and it’s because the schools need to have, they need to show an effort to put out there for the parents and the community that they are trying to do something to make their schools safer,” co-owner of Nightlock Jack Taylor says.

However, according to SCPS, there are currently no discussion on adding metal detectors to school campuses.

Throughout the week, Spectrum News 13 has been trying to get interviews with the Seminole County Public Schools superintendent, the school safety director, law enforcement and school board members.

Those requests have been turned down as they continue to investigate threats.

One school board member, Amy Pennock, did send a statement saying, “These social media threats are disruptive and that they need parents to partner with them to help create a culture of respect and safety.”