The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a 14-year-old for alleged shooting threats made against Flagler Palm Coast High School. The boy is said to have made the threats on Snapchat, a leading social media app among teenagers.
According to a statement on the arrest from the FCSO, a school resource deputy was first made aware of the alleged threat on Tuesday, April 28. The FCSO says that the student, who came to the deputy along with a parent, volunteered what he’d done of his own volition.
Initially, the student reportedly admitted to writing ‘slimeyou out #dontcome to school’ in a group chat with 13 other students. He’s said to have told the deputy that the phrase ‘slime you out’ referred to hurting or shooting someone.
The student said that after his message, he was taken out of the group chat before being brought back in hours afterward. He reportedly claimed to have apologized and said that he was joking.
Another student who spoke with law enforcement is said to have shown a different sequence of events. Screenshots from this student reportedly revealed several messages:
‘Everybody getting shot up’, ‘#Don’tComeToSchoolTomorrow’, and ‘I’m joking’.
The teen who wrote the texts then was shown the content of these screenshots, the FCSO says. He reportedly responded by claiming he did not mean to lie to law enforcement, and that he was under the belief he had written ‘Slimeyou’.
The FCSO also says the teenager claimed he was utilizing edgy, dark humor in the chat. He then reportedly confessed that he was aware of how serious the verbiage was.
Following the conversations, the student was arrested for making a written threat or electronic threat to kill, do bodily injury, or conduct a mass shooting or act of terrorism. He was booked into the county jail before being turned over to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice.
“We have a zero-tolerance policy for threats to schools,” said Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly. “This is not a joke; it is not funny. All threats will be taken seriously and will be investigated, and those who make them will be arrested. Parents, be the sheriff of your home and teach them that words have consequences and know what your children are saying and doing online. This student’s parent did the right thing by having him self-report to the [school resource deputy].”
On Wednesday, The Associated Press reported that an anonymous tip reporting software developed in 2014 had received almost 400,000 reports of potential school shootings. The program, called ‘Say Something’, was developed by Nicole Hockley, whose 6-year-old son was killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut.
In addition to school shooting threats, ‘Say Something’ claims to have fielded reports from students about potential suicides, drug abuse, and bullying. The tips sent in to the app have resulted in arrests. The app is managed by Sandy Hook Promise, a nonprofit formed by the family of the 2012 victims to advocate for policies and actions that prevent future school shootings.
“To our youth, I remind you that nothing, and I mean nothing, is secret online and there is always a record, even when you think you deleted it,” Staly continued. “We don’t like arresting you and telling us ‘it’s a joke’ or ‘I didn’t mean it’ when we knock on your door doesn’t work.”
