13-year-old arrested in Pinellas County after threatening school shooting in group chat: Deputies
PALM HARBOR, Fla. - A Carwise Middle School student was arrested on Saturday, according to deputies.
Officials say the 13-year-old sent messages in a group chat, via Snapchat, to another student about participating in a school shooting.
According to deputies, the teen threatened to shoot the student, who later told his parents about the messages, first if he reported the incident to anyone.
The student's parents notified law enforcement, according to officials.
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Deputies say the 13-year-old admitted to sending the messages when they went to his home. However, he claimed he was just joking.
After the investigation, the middle schooler was arrested and charged with written threats to kill or conduct a mass shooting.
He was taken to the Pinellas Juvenile Assessment Center.
Anyone with information on any threats is asked to notify the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office at (727) 582-6200 or online.