Florida Girl Charged for School Threats
A 12-year-old girl in Florida has been charged by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office after she allegedly made threats to shoot up an elementary school and targeted a teacher.
Authorities revealed on Monday that detectives had been alerted over the weekend to a concerning message sent via Gaggle, which is a monitoring tool that helps schools track student communication on school-issued devices. This particular threat was directed at a teacher at Louise S. McInnis Elementary School, located in DeLeon Springs, about an hour’s drive from Orlando.
In addition to the threats against the teacher, the girl indicated plans to carry out a school shooting on a specific day. However, it was later discovered that the messages had been sent using the account of her ex-boyfriend, with whom she’d shared login details.
The sheriff’s office stated that she was charged with making written threats to commit murder, as well as unlawful use of a communication device. Both charges are classified as felonies.
A video was shared by the sheriff’s office, showing a deputy escorting the cuffed girl from a police vehicle to a holding cell. As she is underage, her name and face are not being released.
Comments from social media users in reaction to the news reflected shock, especially regarding her young age and relationship dynamics. Some questioned how a 12-year-old could have an ex-girlfriend, and there were nostalgic sentiments from those reminiscing about their childhoods, like still playing with dolls at that age.
Additional remarks pointed out concerns regarding her appearance, with some commenters noting her hair color and piercings as potential warning signs.
This incident falls within a broader trend, as the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office has recently dealt with several similar cases involving young individuals making threats. For instance, there were arrests involving an 11-year-old boy making death threats and a 10-year-old who threatened violence at school. In another case, a 12-year-old girl had posted online about committing a mass shooting due to bullying. Such cases raise questions about the underlying issues affecting youth today.
