Less than a week after the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX, where 19 students and two teachers died at the hands of an 18-year-old gunman, all over the country, threats of violence against children and teachers continue on social media.
On Saturday in Cape Coral, Florida, a 10-year-old, fifth-grade student at Patriot Elementary School, was arrested after a text message was discovered in which he threatened to do a mass shooting.
In a news release, Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said, ”This student’s behavior is sickening, especially after the recent tragedy in Uvalde, Texas,” “Making sure our children are safe is paramount. We will have law and order in our schools. My team didn’t hesitate one second to investigate this threat.”
The arrest was reported in a social media post. It included a video of the child being led into a police car. “Right now is not the time to act like a little delinquent. It’s not funny,” Marceno said. “This child made a fake threat, and now he’s experiencing real consequences.”
In another incident, police in Massachusetts arrested a 29-year-old man for making terroristic threats on Facebook. He threatened to commit a school shooting at an unnamed location. He is being held without bail. A search of his home revealed no weapons.
Also this weekend, a 23-year-old Virginia man put a threatening post on social media, aimed at school personnel. He was arrested and placed in Western Tidewater Regional Jail.
In Florida, a teenager was arrested this weekend after a posting on social media that allegedly threatened a school shooting.
According to a news release by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the boy posted photos of himself with a handgun, a rifle, and a tactical vest. The post was captioned, ”Hey Siri, directions to the nearest school.”
The boy, 18-years-old, was arrested at his home in Lutz, Florida and charged with a written or electronic threat to conduct a mass shooting or act of terrorism.
Childish pranks or possible acts of terrorism? Threats are being taken seriously by law enforcement personnel.
