FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – A 14-year-old Palm Coast girl faces serious charges after deputies said she posted a “disturbing“ video on Snapchat that threatened students at her former school, according to a news release.
Deputies said the teen, who News 6 is not naming because of her age, posted the video targeting students at a high school in her former school district in Ohio.
Recommended Videos
According to the release, the FCSO communications center was contacted by police from Logan, Ohio on Thursday in reference to a “perceived credible threat posted online” by the girl.
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
The teen is accused of using multiple racial slurs and making explicit threats of violence, including a statement indicating her intention to harm members of the LGBTQ+ community to a publicly accessible Snapchat story for the high school, deputies said.
“We will not tolerate any threat of violence, especially those that are made with hate and prejudice,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “If you threaten to hurt or kill someone just because of what they look like, where they’re from, or who they love, we will arrest you no matter how old you are. Parents, I urge you to be the Sheriff in your home and teach your children that all people are created equally and hating someone just because they are different than you is not acceptable behavior. Know what your children are posting before you find out when we show up at your door to arrest your child.”
Deputies said that the video had been widely viewed by students at the Ohio high school and had caused significant concern to students, parents, and school officials.
According to the release, due to the teen’s “prior involvement and familiarity with the targeted school system, detectives determined that her threats were intentional and motivated by bias against a protected class, specifically targeting victims within the LGBTQ+ community. Under Florida law, charges for a crime are enhanced if the crime is based on the race, color, ancestry, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, homeless status, or advanced age of the victim.”
The teen was arrested on Friday and taken to the Volusia County Juvenile Detention Center where she faces charges of written or electronic threats to kill with a hate crime enhancement and
Deputies in Flagler County received a $354,896 grant in 2023 to help improve their monitoring and reporting capabilities of potential hate crimes and targeted violence before they occur.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: