PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. – A 9-year-old in Putnam County is facing charges after deputies said he brought a knife to school and threatened two classmates.
According to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the child was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill.
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Deputies said the incident happened on Wednesday at Middleton-Burney Elementary School in Crescent City, and youth resource deputies were told about it on Thursday.
Investigators said that during recess on Wednesday, the 9-year-old and another student got into a fight. The other student told deputies on Thursday that the 9-year-old said during the fight that he was going to stab him and then pulled a pocketknife from his backpack.
The other student said he ran and told a teacher.
Two other children reported to deputies that they saw the 9-year-old with the pocketknife at school.
Another victim told deputies that while on the playground, the 9-year-old tapped him on the back. When that victim turned around, he said the 9-year-old had an open knife in his hand. The victim said he ran from the child out of fear and tripped, then the child stopped chasing him.
A third child told deputies the child walked over to her and showed her a knife and asked her not to tell the teachers. She told deputies he walked over to another child and “flicked open the knife” and pointed it at the child’s stomach. That child was unable to be identified.
Deputies arrested the 9-year-old and transported him to the Putnam County Jail. After he was booked, he was released to a parent until his court date.
Parents are asked to check their children’s backpacks before leaving for school. Officials asked parents to encourage their kids to talk to their teachers or use the Fortify App when they see something.
Officials said several students reported seeing the knives throughout the day, but no one told a teacher until after the threats occurred at recess. The sheriff’s office said if the knives had been found and removed by an adult prior to the threats, the school could have handled discipline and this would not have escalated to a felony arrest.