A man attempted a “LeBron James prank” in a University of Central Florida classroom Wednesday morning, prompting a campus shutdown and police involvement.
UCF shut down after someone imitated LeBron James’ chalk toss in a classroom
Don’t do this.
Around 11 a.m. ET, a 6’2 man wearing a LeBron James Miami Heat jersey entered a class he did not attend, threw a white powder into the air, and yelled, “I’m taking my talents elsewhere. I’m going to Miami.” The substance was later identified as baby powder, but police were forced to treat it as a hazmat situation.
Another man was apparently involved with the filming of the event. Police identified both persons of interests, and confirmed they meant their actions as a joke.
“We are not amused, especially in light of heightened concerns about safety,” the UCF Police Department said in a statement. “It should go without saying that pranks and stunts that create fear and panic are unacceptable.”
Clearly, the pranksters meant this as a joke, but it should be obvious it wouldn’t be taken that way. After last month’s shooting, school safety has been a huge issue in the state and nationally. While basketball fans would probably get the James reference, not everyone knows who James is and about his famous pregame chalk routine.
Don’t pull pranks that could cause school shutdowns. That should be common sense, but apparently it still needs to be said.
