This Florida law allows law enforcement to release names, mug shots of juveniles
11-year-old arrested for school shooting threat in Port Orange
An 11-year-old Creekside Middle School student is now in custody after he made school shooting threats. The child had a written list of names and targets. He was charged with a felony and is currently in custody of the Volusia County Sheriff's Office.
VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. - Florida Sheriff Mike Chitwood promised to release the mug shots of kids who allegedly made shooting threats against Central Florida schools – and seems to have upheld that promise.
On Monday, Sheriff Chitwood released the booking photo and "perp walk" video of an 11-year-old boy accused of threatening a mass shooting.
Sheriff Chitwood said the boy "had a written list of names and targets." The boy apparently told deputies "it was all a joke." FOX 35 has made the decision not to name the boy, due to his age, and has blurred his face in the video.
Sheriff Chitwood said deputies went to his home and confiscated "Airsoft guns, fake ammunition, knives, swords, and other weapons he was showing off to other students on video," according to his post on X.
The boy is accused of making a written threat of a mass shooting, which is a felony.
Here's the Florida law:
The Volusia Sheriff's Office cited Title XLVII (Criminal Procedure and Corrections), Chapter 985, Section 4:
Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, the name, photograph, address, and crime or arrest report of a child:
1. Taken into custody by a law enforcement officer for a violation of law which, if committed by an adult, would be a felony;
2. Charged with a violation of law which, if committed by an adult, would be a felony;
3. Found to have committed an offense which, if committed by an adult, would be a felony; or
4. Transferred to adult court pursuant to part X of this chapter,
Several Florida schools have seen an increase in reports of threats on social media targeting violence towards schools or from people claiming to be a school shooter. Several students across the state – and at least one out of state – have been arrested and booked into jail on charges of making a written threat, according to those agencies.
It comes weeks after the deadly school shooting outside Atlanta, Georgia, where a 14-year-old boy is suspected of shooting and killing four people and injuring nine others at Apalachee High School.
Last week, Sheriff Chitwood said he was fed up with the false shooting threats and had a stern warning to parents and students.
"Parents, you don't want to raise your kids, I'm going to start raising them. Every time we make an arrest, your kid's photo is going to be put out there. And if I could do it, I'm going to perp walk your kid so that everybody can see what your kid's up to," said Sheriff Chitwood.
"The second point of this is, if I can in anyway find out that a parent knew what was going on and wasn't doing anything, your (expletive) is getting perp-walked with them," he said.
'Do your job': Volusia Sheriff fed up with hoax school threats
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood has strong words for parents and students after his department has seen an increase in bogus school shooting threats. "Parents, do your job," Sheriff Chitwood said. He said his school has spent thousands of dollars investigation potential social media threats targeting schools, some that turned out to be jokes. Some students have been arrested and charged. Sheriff Chitwood threatened if he finds out a parent knew about their student's alleged threats and did nothing about it, he'll arrest them and perp walk them alongside their child.
Sheriff Chitwood said an investigation last week cost his agency $21,000. He threatened that the parents of two students arrested for allegedly making written threats would be responsible for those costs, $11,000 each. It's unclear if he'll pursue that.