Eleven stitches and nine arrests lead to Friday's Harmony-St. Cloud football game

Eleven stitches was the medical toll from the attack that triggered a wave of false shooting threats ahead of Friday's football game between Harmony High School and St. Cloud High School in Osceola County, Florida.

The Osceola County Sheriff's Office received a tip Thursday night alleging a shooting would occur at the stadium. Text messages repeating the claim spread among students Friday morning. Investigators examined both the initial report and the digital messages. Officials concluded that neither threat was genuine.

Nine students were arrested on Oct. 21 in connection with a violent incident near Harmony High School. The group, ranging in age from 14 to 18, faces charges of felony aggravated battery and felony inciting a riot. Authorities linked the assault to a lunchtime confrontation where a 17-year-old male intervened after a group of students threw carrots at a female classmate.

The victim required 11 stitches after being taken to a hospital following the beating, which occurred on Oct. 16. The sheriff's office stated that the person behind the false shooting threats claimed the injured teenager was responsible for the reports. Investigators found that attribution to be false as well. The agency has not identified the source of the threats or determined if that person knew the injured student.

Captain Kim Montes of the sheriff's office warned that false reports of a shooting would not be tolerated. "If the suspect is identified, that person will be charged," Montes said. The game is scheduled to proceed on Friday evening with an expanded law enforcement presence. Additional deputies, K-9 units, mounted patrol officers, and St. Cloud Police Department officers will secure the venue.

The security deployment accompanies the official confirmation that the matchup will take place. The investigation into the origin of the threats remains open as of Friday. The nine arrested students are being held on the felony charges related to the Oct. 16 attack.