(© FlaglerLive)
Two Indian Trails Middle School students, both 13, face a felony charge of making a false threat of a school shooting targeting their school.
The two students were arrested Thursday. According to their arrest reports, the two students, both boys, were on an after-school activity bus on Wednesday when they started talking about carrying out a school shooting in front of a 14-year-old girl.
“It’s not going to be today, but at the formal,” one of the students allegedly said, in comments reported to deputies by the girl. “There were going to be a lot more people in one spot,” the boy said, advising the girl to hide and adding: “I’m not going to get killed, and I will be fine.” The students allegedly said they would shoot students and faculty.
One of the two boys who allegedly made the threats spoke with deputies and said the other boy told him to stay on the 200 side of the building–apparently referring to the configuration of buildings at Indian Trails–and telling him that if he hears loud noises, he should hide. He said the other boy told him he might pull the fire alarm to get people in the hallway–the tactic Nikolas Cruz used in Parkland last February, when he confessed to murdering 14 students and three faculty members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The boy also kept telling him not to come to school the next day.
The other student declined to provide a statement.
The two students’ threats reportedly so upset the girl that she cried, and later reported the exchange. It’s not clear if she did so the same day or the following day. Indian Trails dean Justin Cronk then reported the incident to the school resource deputy. The school initially suspended one of the two students. That student and his parents were summoned back to school for an interview with deputies, who learned that the student who’d been suspended did not have access to firearms at home, only a crossbow.
The other student, according to his arrest report, downplayed his role in the conversation, saying “he felt it was a joke.”
“We don’t like making these arrests but all threats will be taken seriously.”
Both arrested students were processed at the county jail before being turned over to the Department of Juvenile Justice.
It was the third incident in the last five school days resulting in charges or arrests involving a total of five students. On Dec. 7, a Buddy Taylor Middle School student, 14, was arrested for bringing a loaded handgun to school. On Tuesday, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office filed charges against two white Flagler Palm Coast High School students, both 16, who made violent, racist, written threats about killing their teacher, who is black.
The string of incidents took place just as the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission was concluding its work Thursday with a set of recommendations about improving safety in schools. The governor convened the commission in the wake of the Parkland school massacre last February.
In Flagler, a cluster of false threats and incidents led to arrests last year, but the current school year had been unfolding more quietly until the past week.
“Threatening to bring guns on campus or to shoot anyone is no joking matter and has again led to the arrest of two students,” Sheriff Rick Staly was quoted as saying in a release his office issued on the incident Thursday evening. “The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has a zero tolerance policy on school threats. We don’t like making these arrests but all threats will be taken seriously and thoroughly investigated and, where appropriate, arrests or charges will be made. Parents – talk to your children. Just like being in an airport or on a plane, make sure your children know what is appropriate language and behavior and what is not. Get involved in what they are doing online, too. This behavior must stop and only you can stop it by talking to your kids and knowing what they are doing and feeling.”
Richard says
Thank you for publishing this VERY disturbing news to the public. This is VERY serious stuff and many THANKS go to the young lady who did exactly what people are asked to do, “see something – say something”. Our culture has changed for the worse where human life is considered trash and no longer respected thanks to drugs, Internet, social media, violent video games, lack of proper parenting, etc.
Stupidity in Schools says
The school resource deputies also need to have a student assembly in all these schools. These kids need to know what the consequences of their actions are going to be. Maybe a little fear put into them will stop all the supposed joking.
capt says
I say, lets just arrest the parents, since all things begin at home. Whats wrong with these kids are they that stupid, has our parents failed are they preaching hate and racism at home ? makes one wonder, is it the news media, the violence on TV shows and the shooter games kids play these days that drives them to want to hate, do they think its all a big game. We have a huge failure be it at home or in our own culture that drives some of young kids to hate and want to harm others. Time to stop the violence.
Hmmm says
Its only “false threats” if they did not intend to follow through. Which in these scenarios, we dont know until it happens. So then it would be t”hreats”.
Florida voter says
A giraffe in a bath tub is a joke. Talking about carrying out a school shooting, especially with specific details, is not a joke. If nothing else, the kids SEVERELY harassed that girl, maybe even severe enough to be considered a felony. I know Florida has laws about that, but I don’t know if our county could, would, or even should pursue it against two 13 year old kids.
MRC says
Threatening to kill others is not a joke! Particularly when they go into detail like this student did. He obviously gave it some thought and who knows if he would have carried it out. And so what that his parents had no firearms in the house. Look at the student at Buddy Taylor who had a stolen firearm. He could easily had something stashed elsewhere or knew another kid whose parents had guns laying around within easy access. The scenarios are endless. So, you must take these threats seriously in this day and age where life is not valued and death has no meaning. Parents who abdicate responsibility to violent video games where killing is fun. Lives are expendable and have no value. What is wrong with this picture? The scenarios in real life are endless. Wake up society! We have a problem! Lack of parenting, lack of moral values, lax school rules, easy access to guns and other weapons, mental health issues, the list goes on. Yes, we need to come down hard on these students in order to prevent even one possible death. No one has mentioned suicide. Maybe one of these students have been really planning their death by suicide by cops. So, keep it up Sheriff’s office and school district. Investigate, arrest, prevent, and keep our children and school staff safe.
Right says
So just to clarify, two students arrested for word of mouth threats to shoot other people at the school.
Two other students who laid their plan out on school computer messages to kill their teacher with a time, date and knowlege of where she lives and although created a well founded fear for the teacher, it was deemed not a credible threat at the time with no charges filed until the teacher pressed the charges. I think I have it clear. SMH.
Beach Guy says
This is bad parenting and/or mental illness. This would NOT be the gun’s fault.
Bernie 2020 says
When are the parents of these kids going to be held responsible for their actions as well? These kids need to be home school and banned from any and all school properties and parks until they are 21 years old.
I would also demand that both the parents and these kids get mental health counseling because this is not normal. When I was 13 i talked about toys, sports and Christmas. Never did I even consider picking up or touching a firearm to kill someone..
Dave says
The comedy central cartoon South Park has been joking about school shootings this whole season, all year. It has become so common place for kids to say they will shoot up the school in this society. And the point? It’s not the kids fault! You see now that our adult nonsense has trickled down to the youth we start to act like it’s a problem. It’s too late. This is the new normal.
mark101 says
@Hmmm,false threats, that is just how the other school shootings started, threats that went from false, talking to others, writing them down etc..) to being true and into action.
ASF says
The Department of Social Services should be investigating the home environment of both these kids, pronto, and all guns should be removed from the residences where they live. Love your guns? Make sure your kids aren’t threatening to shoot them off, along with their mouths.
Concerned Citizen says
Regardless of age if you make threats you should be held accountable for it.
I’m tired of people saying oh they are only teens. They don’t know any better. BS. At a certain age you know right from wrong. And when you attend school the rules are explained.
If you choose to disregard the rules and make threats to harm people then be prepared for the consequences.
Start charging these smart mouthed teens and prosecuting to full extent. Then expell them from school.
More accountability is what’s needed these days.
Born and Raised Here says
Six arrest of students this week in Flagler schools. Shouldn’t the parents be accountable for the actions of there minors. Perhaps parents should be required to take Raising your Minor classes to know what they are expected of to live up to the standard of performance to raise your minor.
realist says
Time for some field trips to the morgue, jails and state prisons for these youngsters, as well as talking with returning combat veterans about the horrors that violence, death and war inflict on a person. Violence and death is real, not as casual as a wordy tweet, lyric in a song or a violent video game.
No More Excuses says
It is in my opinion that whenever a threat is made be it from a “teen” or an adult, it should be taking seriously. Most of the past school shootings were carried out by “teens”. My question to all the folks that believe it to be a joke…If the past teenage school killers initial threats or behavior had been taken seriously would so many people have lost their lives? To call this a joke is sickening! There were too many details of how the incidents would be carried out.
The issue involving the two “white kids” planning to kill a “black teacher” was not only a threat to kill, it was also racially motivated. I don’t believe that this was “a joke”. These kids meant what they said! They were both brave and unbithereunbothered enough to make threats and plan the killing using a school issued laptop that’s Monitored. I have read that initially they were not being charge until the teacher was interviewed and expressed concerns of fear that the threats could be carried out.
The kid that brought a load gun to school had a reason. It didn’t just landed in his bookbag without thought.
All involved in these threats should be prosecuted to the fullest! They knew exactly what they were sayings and according to what was written by the two students, they felt that they wouldn’t be held accountable.
Wake up people! This is now In our community! It’s happening here in Flagler County now! This is not just a parent problem, it is a community issue. I have been in homes were children were not properly supervised and oftentimes ran the house and their parents whereas others I’ve visited appeared to be the complete opposite. Parents should and need to be in their kids/teens business but our children spend most of their time at school and although they are there to learn, bad seeds are sometimes planted in this environment and never reveal itself at home…..again this is a home and community problem and we have to collaboratively work on a solution!