Former Broward schools employee accused of making false active shooter, bomb threats

A former Broward teacher’s assistant was arrested after detectives say he made multiple false shooting and bomb threats at schools across the county.

Jayson Arlon Richardson, 42, of Sunrise, was arrested on Dec. 21 and is now charged with five counts of making false bomb threats and three counts of making written threats to kill.

Richardson made his threats from public library computers as far back as November, according to a Broward Sheriff’s Office media release. On Nov. 18, the BSO Real Time Crime Center received reports of five bomb threats through the FortifyFL app, a suspicious activity reporting app, directed at schools in Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Plantation. Detectives identified Richardson as a suspect “through investigative means.”

The threats came from a public library computer in Delray Beach, and Richardson had been using a computer there at the time of the threats, according to the release.

On Dec. 13, BSO’s Real Time Crime Center received three reports of shooting threats at the same schools, according to the release. This time, the threats came from the Broward County Library in Davie/Cooper City.

Richardson had worked as a teacher’s assistant in the Broward County public school system. The release does not say when he stopped working for the district or why.

After detectives arrested Richardson, he confessed, according to the release. He is being held at the Paul Rein Detention Facility in lieu of $1,600,000 bond.