FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – Two Flagler County middle school students were arrested this week in separate incidents after investigators said they made written threats of violence involving Indian Trails Middle School.
The first incident happened when the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said an 11-year-old girl was arrested Tuesday after a school resource deputy found “school shooting Feb 4th:)” written on a bathroom wall at the middle school.
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The investigation led school administrators and the school’s resource deputy to the 11-year-old student.
According to the sheriff’s office, the girl told investigators someone she communicated with solely online dared her to write the message. She also said she was bored and didn’t think it would be taken seriously, authorities said.
A day later, the sheriff’s office said it arrested a 13-year-old after investigators said the teen sent written threats to kill and two photographs of a gun in a group Snapchat message that included a threat to “shoot Indian Trails [Middle School] up.”
A school resource deputy assigned to Buddy Taylor Middle School interviewed the teen on Wednesday, and the teen said the messages were intended as jokes that got out of hand, according to the sheriff’s office.
“This is never just a joke or a game, and we will take them seriously,” Flagler Schools Superintendent LaShakia Moore said in a statement.
Sheriff Rick Staly urged parents to monitor their children’s online activity and emphasized that claiming a threat was a joke is not a legal defense.
“One would hope this 13-year-old’sarrestalong with thearrestof an 11-year-old girl for writing threats to kill on a bathroom wall deters other students from this type of behavior,” Staly said.
Authorities encouraged students and parents to report threats by calling 911 in emergencies and using the Fortify app or the sheriff’s office website for non-emergency tips.
Both students were arrested and charged with making a written threat to commit a mass shooting or a terrorism act.