Matanzas HS Student Faces Charges After Threatening To 'Shoot Up The School'

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Palm Coast, FL - The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) has arrested a 14-year-old Matanzas High School student who allegedly threatened to “shoot up the school.”

On Tuesday morning, the Dean of Students notified the School Resource Deputy that he learned through an email that a student had allegedly threatened the school after doing poorly on a math assignment. During an interview, the student admitted to making the threat, but he said it was a joke. According to deputies, the student did not have access to any firearms or weapons.

The FCSO also interviewed a teacher and several student witnesses who were able to confirm the 14-year-old made the comments. The incident report points out that all the student witnesses believed the 14-year-old was joking when he made the threat. The boy was subsequently charged with making a false report concerning the use of firearms and was taken to the Flagler County Detention Facility without incident.

“We have zero tolerance for this type of behavior and we will not allow it in our schools,” said Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly. “We have a commitment to keeping our students and schools safe and we will continue to investigate all threats and file criminal charges when appropriate.”

"We have made it clear to Sheriff Staly that we will not tolerate threats on or to our campuses. These are not joking matters and we stand with our law enforcement partners in ensuring all students, teachers, and staff can learn and work in a safe environment," said Flagler County Schools Superintendent James Tager.

The FCSO reminds the public that all suspicious activity should be reported to 911 immediately if it is an emergency or 386-313-4911 for a non-emergency situation. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-888-277-TIPS (8477). Tips can also be submitted by emailing TIPS@flaglersheriff.com.

Copyright Southern Stone Communications 2018.