By Staff Report
A 14-year-old Vernon Middle School student has been arrested and charged in connection with a series of bomb threats made toward the school, according to a statement released by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
On the evening of October 29, 2025, at approximately 9:19 p.m., Washington County School District employees received an email claiming that a bomb had been placed on the Vernon Middle School campus. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) was immediately notified and launched an investigation. Deputies conducted a full sweep of the campus, confirming that the school was secure and no explosives were found.
During the ongoing investigation, WCSO investigators gathered digital evidence that led them to a suspect. As investigators worked to obtain additional information, a second threatening message was sent to the same school district employee. Investigators later made contact with the suspect, who admitted to sending both bomb threats.
The suspect, identified as Evan Williams, age 14, was taken into custody and charged with Terroristic Threats (Florida Statute 836.10) and False Reporting Concerning Planting a Bomb (Florida Statute 790.163). Williams has been transported to a juvenile detention facility.
Sheriff Kevin Crews commended his team for their swift and thorough work in resolving the case.
“I’m proud of our staff for their hard work and dedication in bringing this case to a safe and successful conclusion,” Sheriff Crews said. “We also thank school officials and staff for their commitment to student safety, and the community and parents for their patience and cooperation as we gathered critical information.”
The Sheriff’s Office emphasized that threats targeting schools and students will not be tolerated and that all such incidents will be investigated to the fullest extent of the law.
WMBB