Snapchat threat leads to arrest of Putnam County student

Baylee Crowe, 18, is accused of threatening deputies who confronted him

INTERLACHEN, Fla. – An Interlachen High School student accused of posting a gun threat on Snapchat was arrested Thursday, according to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.

Baylee Crowe, 18, was booked into the Putnam County jail on a felony charge of written threats to kill, do bodily injury or conduct a mass shooting or an act of terrorism. He’s being held without bond and will go before a judge Friday morning.

The Sheriff’s Office said Crowe, a senior at the school, was removed from class, searched for weapons and escorted to the dean's office for questioning after deputies were notified of photos posted on Snapchat showing him holding a machine gun, one of which had a message saying “No school tomorrow?”

“When Crowe was asked if a sibling had any involvement with the social media post, Crowe told youth resource deputies that he would ‘kill all of you,’” according to a news release detailing the arrest.

Sheriff's Office Col. Joe Wells said the photos posted on Snapchat were taken in a museum at Camp Blanding.

Images provided by Putnam County Sheriff's Office

Marta Arthur was Crowe’s school bus driver. She said she has known him for several years and believes he’s a good person.

"He’s been in ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) for the four years he’s been in high school," Arthur said. "He works at a day care and he takes care of babies."

Arthur said Crowe joined ROTC because he wanted to get into the military after graduation, and now she worries his arrest might keep him from joining the military.

“I’m hoping the military says, 'Look, you’re graduating in two weeks. Let’s just take you now. Give him some more structure,' because for the last three months, he’s been floating," Arthur said. 

This was the second brush Crowe has had with authorities since January, the Sheriff's Office said, noting that he previously got in trouble for having a beer can in his backpack and acknowledging he drank in class.

In the release, the agency said its mission is to help provide a “safe, learning environment” for students, something that authorities will continue to take seriously.

“We encourage all parents and guardians to talk to their students about the seriousness of making a threat to a school campus and the repercussions of making a threat,” the release said.


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