FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. — Flagler County deputies said they have changed a sixth grade student with making threats to conduct a mass shooting.
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Deputies said a 12-year-old Indian Trails Middle School student has been arrested and charged with sending a written threat to conduct a mass shooting.
Officials said the student sent threatening messages referencing a school shooting through Snapchat to fellow students on Tuesday.
A parent of a fellow student had found the messages, which were sent to their child, on their child’s cellphone and then contacted the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said they discovered several messages referencing killing people and shooting up the school.
Deputies went to the suspects’ home, where they made contact with the child and their parents.
Upon questioning, the student referenced plans to conduct a mass shooting at ITMS but said they needed to gather supplies to use first, officials said.
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Deputies said the child had convinced their parent to purchase them a pair of football gloves and had been in contact with another student in an attempt to obtain a firearm.
“Threats such as these are not a joke and will always be taken seriously,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “We don’t like making these arrests, but we will come knocking on your door if your child makes any threat to harm someone. Thank you to the parent who found messages on their child’s phone and then reported it to us so we could take swift action to prevent an incident from occurring within Flagler County schools. I also hope this child gets the mental health help that is obviously needed.”
Deputies said the juvenile was placed under arrest and taken to the Department of Juvenile Justice without incident.
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The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is urging parents to talk to their children about the consequences of sending threats to commit violence.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said it will arrest any student who threatens violence against anyone.
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