CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — An 11-year-old Discovery Oaks Elementary School student has been arrested for threatening a school shooting in November, the Clay County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) said in a post on their Facebook page Tuesday.
The sheriff's office says the 4th grader, who First Coast News is not naming, was involved in an online chat on Nov. 25 with at least eight other students, as "he became angry about the group's social interaction and posted that he would shoot up a school." They have been arrested on a written or electronic threats to kill, do bodily injury, or conduct a mass shooting or an act of terrorism charge, a second-degree felony.
CCSO's post states that the 4th grader's message circulated amongst students in the following days of the incident, resulting in a report being made with the sheriff's office on Tuesday by "an uninvolved parent."
"CCSO conducted a criminal investigation, which included interviewing all involved parties and family members," the sheriff's office said in the post.
Police say the 4th grader "had a previous incident of threatening violence that was investigated last year."
On the post, Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook released the following statement about the incident:
"We take every single tip received very seriously and a thorough investigation is conducted. I have zero tolerance for school threats. Parents, please speak with your children about the consequences of making such statements. I want to thank those who came forward with this information and encourage anyone who sees or hears anything suspicious to report it immediately."