CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – A 13-year-old student has been arrested and accused of threatening to attack a Clay County school.
Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook said the 13-year-old boy was arrested after he allegedly threatened to commit a shooting at Lake Asbury Junior High School.
Earlier this week, a student at the school told a teacher that she was using the House Party app when she heard the student make the threat, Cook said.
According to the student, the boy had a “Colt rifle” in his hands during a chat on the video app and threatened to commit a shooting at the school, Cook said.
The student told a teacher and law enforcement got involved and found the threat to be credible.
The student was interviewed by a Clay County deputy and allegedly admitted to making the threat and having a rifle and ammunition.
The boy said the firearm belonged to his grandfather and he got it out of a safe at his grandfather’s home, Cook said.
“It appears that the grandparents did not know about this and he had learned the combination to the safe and was able to access the safe and retrieve the weapon,” Cook said.
The grandparents said no other weapons were missing.
The child, who was not identified, was arrested Wednesday and transported to the Duval Regional Juvenile Detention Center. Cook said the motive is still being investigated.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank the students that came forward with this information,” Cook said. “You are brave, you are courageous and you did the right thing.”
Cook said the incident serves as an important reminder to parents as Clay County students enter the second week of the school year to talk to children about the importance of reporting suspicious activity to an adult.
“This is also a reminder for parents and guardians to secure all firearms, even if they’re in a safe,” Cook said.
Cook asked any other students that may have been on the chat app that day to notify the Sheriff’s Office.
Clay County superintendent David Broskie said the student has been suspended and faces expulsion.
“I would put to parents to talk to your children about thinking before they post,” Broskie said. “So many times we have students that say things and do things before thinking and press send. This is a good reminder to not do that.”