A gigantic dead shark was hung from the rafters outside Ponte Vedra High School in Jacksonville Thursday, shocking staffers and spurring an investigation.
Officials said a group of students hung the dead fish Wednesday night after gutting it and storing it in a freezer.
Ponte Vedra’s mascot is a shark, leading administrators to interpret the incident as a senior prank.
“A group of five high school students at Ponte Vedra High School hung a gutted shark on the rafters of the school courtyard,” Alex AuBuchon, spokesperson for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
AuBuchon said the kids hung the carcass using two sets of cables and that startled staffers made the discovery at 8 a.m. Thursday before having it cut down and removed.
Some social media users blasted the macabre display on Twitter, arguing that the prank was inappropriate.
“This is sick,” one poster wrote, asserting that the kids should be disciplined.
Others were more forgiving.
“I’m more impressed that they caught the shark than what happened after,” tweeted another account.
The St. John’s County School District is probing the incident.
