Mom accused of threatening to wear fake bomb to graduation ceremony because her child can’t graduate

Reporter: Zach Oliveri Writer: Derrick Shaw
Published: Updated:
Tracy Marie Adeline Carter (CREDIT: Cape Coral Police Department)

A 39-year-old Cape Coral woman is under arrest for threatening to wear a fake bomb to her child’s school for not letting her child graduate due to disciplinary issues.

Tracy Marie Adeline Carter was taken into custody on Wednesday and faces a charge of “planting a hoax bomb.”

Carter is accused of targeting Oasis High School’s graduation. Her plan to send a message was inspired by the movie John Q.

During her first appearance on Thursday, she was told to stay away from Oasis Middle School and Oasis High School.

When Jim Hembree heard what Carter was planning to do he did not hold back.

“You come around my grandkids, you’re going to pay the price,” Hembree said.

Carter was seen ranting at the Cape Coral Chamber of Commerce building about being frustrated her child was not allowed to graduate and she planned to attend the graduation with a fake bomb strapped to her to show the faculty how upset she was.

The disciplinary reasons were possibly due to the student fighting, police said.

“She told staff before leaving in her vehicle that she was going to be on the news, just to remember she was still a good person,” said Cape Coral police public affairs officer Brandon Sancho.

Carter said she wanted to make her voice heard and wanted to mimic the movie John Q to make a statement. In the movie, Denzel Washington’s character takes a hospital emergency room hostage when his insurance won’t cover his son’s heart transplant.

Her plan to achieve that was to show up to graduation with a cardboard bomb that she drew herself strapped to her body.

She said she felt bad for the children she would scare, but “she really needed to be heard.”

Carter was arrested and transported to Lee County Jail.

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