Florida sheriff releases mug shot of 11-year-old charged with making school shooting threat

 

A Florida sheriff released the mug shot and video of an 11-year-old child charged with a felony for allegedly making a written threat of a mass shooting.

The release came just days after the sheriff said he would start releasing the mug shots of students who are arrested for making school shooting threats; two teenagers and the 11-year-old child were taken into custody within the last few days.

“Since parents, you don’t want to raise your kids, I’m gonna start raising them,” Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said at a news conference Friday. “Every time we make an arrest, your kids’ photo is going to be put out there and if I can do it, I’m gonna perp walk your kid so that everybody can see what your kid’s up to.”

On Monday, the sheriff’s office announced the arrest of the 11-year-old Creekside Middle School student who allegedly threatened to commit a school shooting and had a “written list of people he claimed he would kill,” authorities said.

The boy, of Port Orange, is accused of showing off “several weapons” during a video chat with friends and threatening to commit the shooting at Creekside or Silver Sands Middle School, the sheriff’s office said in a news release. Detectives were alerted through Fortify Florida, which allows people to make anonymous reports of suspicious activity to law enforcement and school officials.

The sheriff’s office released the child’s name, mug shot and a video of him being escorted into the jail. NBC News is not naming the child or showing his picture because he is a minor.

 

In the video, the child is handcuffed behind his back as deputies take him inside the jail. He’s then cuffed around his ankles as he’s told to wait in a holding cell until deputies can gather some paperwork.

“Do you have any questions?” the deputy asks.

“No, sir,” the boy responds.

Authorities searched the child’s room and allegedly found a large number of airsoft rifles, pistols and fake ammunition along with knives, swords and other weapons, the news release states. The alleged list of targets was also recovered.

The child told deputies that the threat was a joke, according to the news release.

Sheriff Chitwood said it’s no laughing matter.

“Go talk to the families who have lost a loved one in a school shooting. These little knuckleheads think it’s funny. Go talk to those parents and see how funny this is. It’s not,” he said at Friday’s news conference.

The sheriff said that upward of 54 tips had recently been reported through Fortify Florida, and investigators and school districts “have been running around the clock to investigate these tips which are all turning out to be false.”

He said the situation was “absolutely out of control” and that it was costing investigators thousands of dollars.

“We’re gonna have a poster out, I’m gonna show you every kid that’s been arrested and where they go to school. And from there on out, we’re going to publicly shame them and their parents,” the sheriff told reporters. “So parents, do your job. Don’t let Sheriff Chitwood raise our kids. This is absolutely ridiculous.”

The 11-year-old’s arrest came days after two Heritage Middle School students were taken into custody. The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release on Friday that two teenagers, ages 13 and 14, allegedly posted threats on TikTok and Instagram. They were both charged with felony making written threats to kill.

Volusia County Schools said in a joint statement with the sheriff’s office that “safety is the number one priority” and that every possible threat is thoroughly investigated.

“Any students or individuals found responsible for making threats or spreading false information will face serious consequences. This includes disciplinary actions at the school level, such as suspension or expulsion, as well as potential legal action, including arrest,” the statement read. “We need the continued support of our parents and community members to reinforce the seriousness of these offenses to your children.”

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This article was originally published on NBCNews.com