A dead shark was found hanging from the rafters of a high school as part of a senior prank in Ponte Vedra Beach.
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School administrators find the gruesome discovery at the rafters
Officials said the gutted shark was found around 8 a.m. Thursday at Ponte Vedra High School and added the “prank” involved five students. According to Insider, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspects after surveillance footage showed the five students lifting the shark into the rafters, and other students shared photos of the animal on social media.
The St.John’s County School District confirms a shark was found hanging above a staircase at Ponte Vedra High School this morning. They don’t know who put it there. It was cut down and removed. @wjxt4 viewers sent us pics. A student I spoke with says it was a senior prank. #PVHS pic.twitter.com/prXhToXdtV
— Marilyn Parker (@MarilynParkerTV) May 5, 2022
A petition was created asking law enforcement to charge students for the prank
Animal advocacy group One Protest launched a Change.org asking for the five students to be criminally charged for the incident.
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“As an animal advocacy organization, we are accustomed to seeing and hearing about execrable crimes carried out upon wildlife. This case is particularly egregious. We are dealing with high school seniors who have a blatant disregard for life and find killing, mutilating, and displaying the body of an animal as ‘funny’ or a ‘prank.’ We must uphold the laws put in place to protect wildlife and hold those who break the law accountable for their actions,”
Executive director Adam Suglaski told News4Jax that it is unclear where the students found the shark but he is familiar with certain species since he surfs in the area.
“I surf in Guana Park by Ponte Vedra. And there are bull sharks in the area they could have, you know, it is legal to catch a bull shark and take it. So it could have been caught legally, or they could have purchased it from fishermen off the dock. Regardless of what species of shark it is, it’s still, like, it’s kind of upsetting to see that animal just being, you know, used as a prank.”
Social media also reacted to the incident as people questioned who would use a dead animal as a senior prank.
A shark was found hanging above a staircase at Ponte Vedra High School this morning near Jacksonville FL. It was a senior prank. Who does such a thing? Only in Florida. Unbelievable. pic.twitter.com/uPSyNfYw5m
— ThomasDBradley (@ThomasDBradley) May 5, 2022
A large shark was hung at Ponte Vedra High School, Ponte Vedra, Florida today. They’re calling it a prank. Prank? It’s a disgusting act of animal cruelty. Let’s make sure they’re held accountable @SJSOPIO. https://t.co/ck5h2Pqww2
— SweetTea (@MissLindner) May 5, 2022
Bro did anyone else see the dead shark prank in Florida at a high school
— chicoXsoto (@BBsoto17) May 7, 2022