MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A 16-year-old girl who allegedly made a threat against three Miami-Dade County high schools over the weekend appeared in court Tuesday, where a felony charge was dropped against her.
Francesca Gallardo still faces a misdemeanor charge of making a written threat to kill or do bodily harm.
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"Honestly, I think this whole thing has been something where the process has worked," Gallardo's attorney said outside the courthouse. "I don't blame anyone for being nervous about whatever it was that initially happened."
According to an arrest report, police were notified Sunday after Francesca Gallardo posted a photo of an assault rifle on Instagram and commented: "Anyone from Ferg, Dade or Varela don't go to school tmmw."
Students told Local 10 News that the post was also on Snapchat with the caption: "I hate people."
Police said the social media post went viral and numerous parents and staff members of all three schools called authorities to report the threat.
Parents of students at John A. Ferguson Senior High School, Felix Varela Senior High School and South Dade Senior High School were notified about the threat and assured that the schools were safe.
Detectives identified the person behind the threat as Gallardo.
Police went to her home Monday morning and spoke to her and her father, the report said.
Gallardo was arrested on a charge of making a written threat to kill or do bodily harm.
According to the arrest report, Gallardo is a student at John A. Ferguson Senior High School.
Her attorney said Gallardo is a "good student."
"She does a lot of things on her own for the community and she deserves a break," he said.
Gallardo's attorney said the teen has been suspended for 10 days from the high school.
He said he can't comment about why his client might have made the threat, but said that he doubted anything going on at home contributed to the incident.
"Sometimes foolish things happen," he said.