PALM COAST, Fla. – A 13-year-old girl was arrested after the Flagler County Sheriff’s office said she made an online threat to commit a school shooting.
According to an arrest report, the teen made a post on her Instagram account on Sunday that read “12:05 be ready to die if you go to BTMS” referring to Buddy Taylor Middle School in Palm Coast. The post also included knife and gun emojis.
Recommended Videos
Deputies said the teen’s mother was made aware of the post. Knowing the seriousness of the matter, she made her daughter delete it but saved a screenshot of the post. On Monday, the mother brought the teen to school to report the post. School officials then contacted the sheriff’s office.
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
When confronted by deputies, the teen told them that she and a friend were talking about school shootings, and stated she did not think the post was that serious and had no intentions to shoot anyone at school. The friend also admitted to the conversation and told deputies they were joking around on the phone.
The teen was charged with a written/electronic threat mass shooting/terrorism act and taken to the Department of Juvenile Justice. Due to the girl’s age, News 6 is not naming her.
In a statement, Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly thanked the parent for her actions.
“The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office takes all threats seriously, especially ones made towards a school or its student body. We don’t like arresting young teens, but we will protect Flagler County students. Thank you to the parent who found this post on her daughter’s phone and reported it to the school so we could act swiftly and make a quick arrest to prevent an incident from happening at a Flagler County school. I also know this had to be a hard decision for a parent, but it was the right decision. Thank you to the mom for being the sheriff of your home. More parents need to be parents and not just friends and teach their kids that actions have consequences.”
- Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly
The Flagler County School also issued a statement following the teen’s arrest.
“We are aware of this arrest of a student making threats to the safety of the school. We want to make it clear that such behavior is never a joke. Anyone who threatens the welfare of our children and our employees will be met with consequences. We work closely with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office to ensure a swift and appropriate response to any threat, and we encourage all students and families to understand the gravity of these actions. Our priority remains the safety of our students, faculty, and staff.”
LaShakia Moore, Flagler County School District Superintendent
The girl’s arrest comes amid a spike in online school threats and rumors of potential school attacks in Central Florida. On Monday, Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood announced the arrest of an 11-year-old who threatened to commit a school shooting.
Buddy Taylor Middle School made several appearances in news headlines at the end of the 2023-24 school year as it was a target in a series of “swatting” calls. An 11-year-old from Virginia was arrested in July for making those threats.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: