Deputies: Clay County teen threatened to shoot up high school

Threats were made during Periscope feed of talent show

ORANGE PARK, Fla. – A 15-year-old boy was arrested in Orange Park after he threatened to open fire on a high school in Virginia, according to the Clay County Sheriff's Office.

Investigators said the teen made threats during an online Periscope feed of a talent show for Hanover High School. The comments included:

"I'm about to shoot that school up," and, "U better watch out because I'm coming right now"

Police in Virginia tracked the comments to a home on Arora Boulevard in Orange Park. Clay County deputies arrived at the home on Sunday and arrested the teen.

News4Jax is not identifying the 15-year-old.

READ IT: Arrest report from Clay County Sheriff's Office

Chief Keith Smith, with the Sheriff's Office, said police across the country are cracking down on threats of school violence.

"We don't take any of them lightly," Smith said. "If somebody comes in and they make a quoted threat to do harm or violence to one of our schools or to the students at the school, because safety is number one with the schools, we don't just kind of chalk it up to, 'Well, that's non-credible.' We have a protocol that we go through with everyone."

The mother of the teenager told News4Jax: "He didn't mean anything by it. He's a good kid. He's never been in trouble." She said her son does not have ties to Virginia.

As of Monday evening, the teen was still in custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice. Investigators confiscated his electronic devices.


About the Author:

Lifetime Jacksonville resident anchors the 8 and 9 a.m. weekday newscasts and is part of the News4Jax I-Team.