An 18-year-old cosmetology student faces up to 15 years in prison after a social media post triggered a rapid, multi-agency law enforcement response in Clearwater, Florida. The incident highlights the near-instantaneous pipeline between social media platforms, federal agencies, and local law enforcement when digital threats are detected.
On January 5, 2026, Addison Gass, an 18-year-old who had recently relocated from Colorado to Florida to attend the Aveda Institute in Clearwater, posted a threatening photo to her Snapchat story. The post included the captions, “I’m abt to shoot up this school” and “they done pi**ed me tf off.”
According to investigative records, the post stemmed from a dispute earlier that day regarding a dress code violation, during which an institute staff member flagged for wearing leggings. Shortly after publishing the story, Gass texted her mother, calling it “the worst day of her life,” unaware that emergency protocols had already been initiated.
Within approximately one hour of the post going live, Snapchat’s safety team flagged the content and issued a voluntary emergency disclosure to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Under federal law, service providers are permitted to voluntarily disclose user records or communications to law enforcement if they believe in good faith that an emergency involving imminent danger of death or serious physical injury requires immediate disclosure.
The FBI immediately forwarded the alert to the Pinellas Sheriff’s Office, which dispatched deputies to the campus.
Deputies coordinated quietly with Aveda Institute administration to locate Gass without alerting the general student body. Deputies found Gass in a classroom and discreetly escorted her to an upstairs room.
Upon being questioned about the law enforcement presence, Gass immediately referenced the Snapchat post, stating she “wasn’t thinking” and had no literal intention of carrying out a threat. A search confirmed she was unarmed. Deputies placed her in handcuffs and escorted her from the building through a rear corridor. Subsequent forensic analysis of her phone revealed additional content, including a video of Gass making an obscene gesture toward the school and a text to her mother stating, “I’m actually going to lose my mind.”
“The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to keeping our schools, our children, and our community safe.”
— Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, Pinellassheriff
Gass was booked into the Pinellas County Jail that afternoon. Gass has been charged with one count of making written threats to kill or conduct a mass shooting, which is classified as a second-degree felony under Florida Statutes.
