A 14-year-old was arrested by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office this month for allegedly bringing a gun onto campus at Matanzas High School for a basketball game. Though the FCSO named the teen in their report, this article will exclude his identity in accordance with common journalistic practices.
The investigation began on January 31st, when a school resource deputy was made aware that a student had posted a photo of himself to social media in which he was holding a handgun inside a school bathroom. The picture appears to show the suspect pointing the gun in the general direction of the camera, with a graphic displaying the song he attached to the post obscuring most of his face.
Identifying the Suspect
Upon speaking with students about the post, the school resource deputy was informed by several of them what the student’s name supposedly was, and that he attended Indian Trails Middle School. He reviewed surveillance tape of a basketball game held at Matanzas the previous night and, with the help of another school resource deputy from ITMS, made the determination that a figure on camera was wearing clothing matching the clothes in the photo.
The suspect is said to have gone in and out of the bathroom multiple times during the game. One of the times he’s said to have went in with three other ITMS students, who promptly ran out. At this point, the ITMS resource deputy spoke with the suspect and told him about the investigation.
The Teenager’s First Arrest
A search warrant was obtained for the suspect’s phone, and the ITMS deputy told the suspect they’d be needing to look through it. The suspect reportedly told the deputy he had nothing to do with the situation and tried to leave. The disagreement continued and escalated, the FCSO says, leading to the deputy handcuffing the teen.
The teen was charged with resisting an officer with violence and taken to the county jail to be processed, before a directive from the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice had him released to the custody of a parent. After this, deputies tracked down and interviewed one of the three students shown fleeing the bathroom on tape, who said that they’d all run after the suspect lifted up his shirt to reveal the gun.
Identifying the Subject in the Photos
The search warrant for the suspect’s phone was served on February 14th, and deputies found several photos which the FCSO says show him with the gun. The location attached to the photos place him at Matanzas High School at the time they were taken. The suspect reportedly told other students that he got rid of the gun and no longer had it. By February 19th he was arrested again, now also charged with the exhibition of a weapon on school property. He was booked at the county jail and then transferred to the Volusia County Juvenile Detention Center.
The FCSO have stated that they do not know where the gun is now, and that anyone with information about its location should enter a tip by calling (386) 313-4911, emailing TIPS@flaglersheriff.com, using the FCSO app or website, or by using the FortifyFL app.
Reactions from Community Leaders
“If you bring a weapon onto school grounds, you will be arrested,” said Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly. “I commend the students that notified our school resource deputy of the photo that was circulating on social media. In this case the ‘see something, say something’ may have averted a tragedy that was in the making. Parents, we have a zero-tolerance policy, so you need to be the Sheriff in your own home. Make sure that you know what your child is up to and monitor their social media posts.”
“Flagler Schools appreciates the proactive approach to safety the men and women of the FCSO provide to our students, faculty and staff during school hours, as well as public events held on our campuses throughout the week,” added Flagler Schools Superintendent LaShakia Moore. “Please note that our commitment to safety extends beyond school hours. We will collaborate with the FCSO to identify and prosecute any individuals who commit crimes on our campus during school hours, as well as at public events held on our campuses.”
