An 11-year-old Florida boy who was just arrested for making a death threat was charged with the same crime in October, police said.
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office noted in its news release last week that “we have a repeat visitor” before disclosing that it was the young suspect’s “second arrest for making a written threat to kill.”
‘If you can threaten to shoot 7 teachers you can take a perp walk. Parents, discipline your kids and I won’t have to.’
The sheriff’s office said the boy has been in a diversion program as a result of his last arrest in October at Southwestern Middle School after he sent a group message “IM GONNA SHOOT YOU” from another student’s communications account.
But officials said the 11-year-old on Thursday once again used another student’s account to send the message “imma shoot you” to seven teachers at DeLand Middle School.
The sheriff’s office posted video of a deputy perp-walking the handcuffed boy into a holding cell. Blaze News is not naming the suspect or showing his face because of his age.
Image source: Volusia County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office video screenshot, composite
Sheriff Mike Chitwood had strong words for those who “coddle” young people accused of such crimes.
“Now understand this. We have 63,000 students and 4,400 teachers in Volusia County Schools. I know some want to make excuses and coddle the select few who choose to make threats. You can pat them on the head and tell them everything’s going to be alright. My job is to look out for everyone else,” Chitwood wrote. “These idiotic threats disrupt our schools, eat up time and resources, and increase the chances a real threat slips through the cracks. If you can threaten to shoot 7 teachers you can take a perp walk. Parents, discipline your kids and I won’t have to.”
Such arrests seem to be piling up in Florida.
- The day before the 11-year-old boy’s arrest last week, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 10-year-old boy and perp-walked him on camera after officials said he threatened to bring a gun to his elementary school and left a kill list in his classroom.
- Late last month the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said officers arrested a 12-year-old girl after she posted online a “detailed manifesto” about carrying out a mass shooting at a middle school due to bullying.
- Also in February, a pair of 15-year-olds were arrested after being accused of threatening to shoot up high schools, police said.
- In late October, an 11-year-old girl was arrested after writing a “kill list” at her desk at school, police said. Then just two weeks later, an 11-year-old boy from the same school district was arrested after allegedly creating a “kill list” at school, police said.
- Also in October, a Florida sheriff’s office came under fire for posting 9-year-old male’s mug shot on Facebook after his felony arrest for allegedly bringing a knife into his elementary school.
- Just a week prior, that same sheriff’s office said a 10-year-old was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, a third-degree felony, after bringing a pocketknife to school and threatening another student. The sheriff’s office posted the suspect’s name and mug shot.
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