HCSO: 13-year-old arrested after threatening to shoot multiple teachers at Weeki Wachee school
WEEKI WACHEE, Fla. - Students threatened to shoot several teachers at Winding Waters K-8 in Weeki Wachee during a FaceTime call, according to deputies.
On Saturday around 1:10 p.m., Hernando County Sheriff's deputies say they received a call from the parent of a student attending Winding Waters. According to the parent two of her child's classmates had threatened to commit a school shooting.
The student who told officials about the threats said that they had been on a FaceTime call with two other classmates and witnessed them playing with what appeared to be a real gun. The student says the other two classmates said they were going to shoot several teachers during the next school day, according to authorities.
On the FaceTime call, deputies say the students who were making the threats told the reporting student not to come to school on Monday because they were planning on shooting multiple teachers and staff.
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Officials say that a threat was also posted on social media by one of the classmates. Deputies made contact with one of the students along with his parents at their home.
Deputies told the 13-year-old's parents about the threats their child had made. The teen admitted to the statements but claimed they were made because of another student who threatened to shoot him first, according to authorities.
The 13-year-old also told investigators that he had nothing to do with making the threats and that it was his friend who was also on the FaceTime call that said something about shooting teachers.
Deputies did find a plastic BB gun that looked like a gun in the 13-year-old's possession.
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Investigators also went to the other classmate's home but during the interview that student denied the comments and said they were only playing video games. HCSO says that no weapons were found at that child's home.
According to officials, both students were told that they would be driven to the school district headquarters on Monday to meet with deputies and the administration for further investigation and assessment. The 13-year-old was taken into custody and transported to the Hernando County Detention Center on Monday morning after further interviews with deputies, school administration, and counseling staff, according to authorities.
The teen was charged with one count of intimidation/send written threat to conduct mass shooting. He was also transferred to the Department of Juvenile Justice, according to officials.
Investigators have not charged the other student with anything.
If you have information on this case, Hernando County Crime Stoppers can be reached by phone at 1-866-990-TIPS (8477) or **TIPS from a cell phone. To submit a tip online, click here.
You will remain anonymous and also be eligible for a reward up to $5,000 cash.