Middle School Student Arrested For Written Threats To Kill

Posted
Indian Trails Middle School

Palm Coast, FL - A 14-year-old student is facing felony charges after being arrested by the Flagler County Sheriff's Office on Friday afternoon. FCSO Information Officer Brittany Kershaw said the charge of Written Threats to Kill or Do Bodily Harm stems from an off-campus incident between the teen and a victim, both students at Indian Trails Middle School.

The incident evolved in to a rumor being spread by the students. The rumor upset the defendant. His reaction was to create a threatening video. The video was reported by a third party to school staff and the School Resource Deputy. The video, created on February 14, shows the defendant holding a firearm and threatening to kill the victim.

Sheriff Rick Staly said this has to stop. " Students – violence is not the answer and will only get you in serious trouble. Parents – we have been spreading the message ‘see something, say something’ for over a year now. With cell phones and social media, it is more important than ever to pay attention to what your children are doing online, get involved in their lives, and make sure your children know right from wrong and the consequences they face if they make the wrong choice. We have a zero tolerance policy for threats in Flagler County.”

Investigators obtained the video, then conducted separate interviews with the victim, the defendant and witnesses. Results of the investigation determined that the defendant recorded the video at his home, holding a firearm belonging to his parents.

FCSO encourages parents to watch a PSA with their children, called "Make the Choice to Raise Your Voice. It was created to educate students on the consequences they could face should they decide to make threats of violence.