Florida authorities say a mentally disturbed Virginia teenager with an interest in snuff films and animal cruelty made more than 20 violent, threatening phone calls to Florida schools in May, including one that said he had two bombs at an elementary school and threatened to “shoot any police officers who showed up.”
The so-called “boy terrorist,” whose identity has not been released because he is a minor, was arrested in Henrico County, Virginia, on July 19, about two months after a nine-day series of phone attacks that primarily targeted several schools in Flagler County, Florida.
But the boy had made similar calls to Virginia, Alabama, Alaska, Tennessee, Nebraska and the Maryland Legislature, Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staley said at a news conference Thursday. According to Axios Richmond.
Staley said the boy was a “juvenile terrorist” and that the alleged assault has now led to a massive police response, school lockdowns and concerned parents, as he is now facing 29 felony charges and 14 misdemeanors.
“Look at this,” Staley said at the press conference, “an 11-year-old boy is causing all this chaos and mayhem in our community.”
In one call, the boy allegedly said he was going to “shoot everyone in the head,” according to local reports. Flagler LiveHe once claimed to have murdered his teacher.
Police traced the call to a home in Henrico County, where they arrested him. Staley said in a statement on Facebook.
The boy admitted to making the calls and said he used methods he learned online to deceive officers and conceal his identity, the statement said.
“What we’ve learned is, frankly, shocking and disturbing,” Staley said of the investigation at a news conference.
According to Flagler Live, the boy had a disturbing, dark side to him, with an interest in animal and human cruelty, as well as violent content such as snuff videos of people and cats.
“This boy needs to be held accountable and receive serious support,” Staley said, adding that police seized several shocking videos after the arrest.
The boy’s mother told authorities that the boy had become obsessed with the internet during the pandemic, and the boy’s brother told investigators that the boy seemed “weird” and “something was off.”
The boy also said that he wrote the script himself and acted in the film by himself.
The outlet said his alleged misconduct likely influenced at least one copycat phone call in which a 13-year-old boy threatened to blow up a Florida middle school.
The boy is being held at a Virginia juvenile detention center while he awaits extradition, according to Axios.
“With the school year less than a month away, we know the status of this investigation was of concern to our community, which is why our detectives have not stopped working to find the perpetrator(s) who terrorized our students, parents, teachers and our community,” Staley said in a statement.
“This boy’s behaviour was escalating and becoming more dangerous,” he continued. “We’re glad he was caught before he got out of control and hurt someone.”
He may be tried as an adult, but Florida Attorney RJ Larizza said last week that “we can’t say anything more at this time.”
“Sometimes it takes a punch in the face to make you realize,” Larizza said. “It’s time for people to understand how dangerous the internet can be.”
