An 11-year-old middle school student in Port Orange, Florida, has been charged with a felony after threatening to commit a mass shooting at a middle school, authorities revealed on Monday. The Volusia County Sheriff's Office arrested the Creekside Middle School student for making threats towards Creekside or Silver Sands Middle School, claiming it was all a joke.
The student faced a felony charge for intimidation through a written threat of a mass shooting/terrorism act. Detectives found airsoft style rifles, pistols, magazines, fake ammunition, and various knives and swords during a search of the student's home. Additionally, a list of students' names that the juvenile allegedly wanted to harm was discovered.
The arrest followed an anonymous tip from another student at Creekside Middle School, leading deputies to a group of students from both schools involved in a FaceTime conversation with the juvenile. The students reported that the 11-year-old displayed firearms and knives, although it was unclear if the weapons were real.
During questioning, the juvenile admitted joking about the comments but denied making direct threats to the schools. He explained showing the other students his Airsoft rifles and knives but could not recall if he informed them that the guns were not real. The student claimed the list of names was created as a joke with no intention of causing harm to the individuals listed.
Sheriff Michael Chitwood emphasized the seriousness of school shooting threats, mentioning that 54 calls regarding school shootings were deemed false. He warned that parents of juveniles making such threats online would face consequences, including publicizing the child's identity and holding parents accountable for their actions.
