CITRUS SPRINGS, Fla. (WFLA) — A student in Citrus Springs was arrested Thursday after they called the school and threatened “severe violence,” the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office said.

Deputies said a student left a voicemail on a school faculty member’s phone and made threats toward students.

Investigators were notified and were able to identify the caller as a student. Deputies said the student confessed and was placed under arrest.

“The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office takes every threat to our schools very seriously and investigates each threat thoroughly to ensure the safety of our students and school faculty,” said Sheriff Mike Prendergast. “Thanks to the school’s swift notification, we were able to secure our campuses, conduct proactive measures to ensure public safety, and eliminate the chance of an attack in our county. This is yet another example of why it is imperative we have School Resource Deputies on campuses each day to actively protect our youth.”

The sheriff’s office said the threat resulted in the disruption of hundreds of students’ class time, parents’ work schedules and caused widespread safety concerns.

“We are committed to keeping your children safe and, with that, anyone caught making a violent threat or causing a disturbance within our county schools will be held accountable,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release.