- April 24, 2024
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Deputies have arrested an 11-year-old Bunnell Elementary School student for threatening to shoot a teacher.
It is the fourth arrest of a local student for threats since Jan. 27, and the second such arrest at Bunnell Elementary school: A 12-year-old at the school was arrested Feb. 3 for threatening to commit a school shooting.
In the prior two incidents, an 11-year-old Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School student was arrested for threatening to bomb his school, and an 18-year-old Matanzas High School student was arrested over a rap song in which he threatened to kill a school administrator.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office school resource deputy at Bunnell Elementary School received a tip about the latest case on Friday, Feb. 5: A teacher said that a student had arrived in class singing a rap song about guns and shooting people.
The teacher pulled the boy aside and told him the song wasn't appropriate for school, according to his arrest report. But she then saw him searching for guns on the internet and talking about guns with other students.
The next day, the student pointed his iPad at the teacher, made gun noises and said, "I am going to shoot you up!” He did it again as the left the classroom, making eye contact with the teacher, she told the deputy.
The teacher said the student's threats had scared her and made her nervous about coming to school.
Bunnell Elementary School's information technology staff retrieved the student's Google searches, and found that he'd made over four pages' worth of searches about handguns and ammunition, according to an FCSO news release.
The student was arrested on a charge of False Report Concerning the Use of Firearms in a Violent Manner, according to the news release.
“We have a zero tolerance policy for threats in Flagler County, especially when it comes to our schools,” Sheriff Rick Staly said in the news release. “This is the fourth case in as many weeks. By now, everyone should realize that if you make a threat in a school, you are going to be arrested. Parents: While we don’t like making these arrests, we will make an arrest if there is probable cause. So please, talk to your kids about the seriousness of making a threat before we have to get involved! Thank you to the teacher that came forward and reported this. Remember, if you see something, say something.”
The student was booked at the county jail and then released to his parents, according to the news release, and the Department of Juvenile Justice was contacted to set a court date.
To report suspicious activity to law enforcement, call the FCSO at 386-313-4911 or email [email protected]. To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-888-277-TIPS (8477).
