Another person has been arrested for threatening to conduct a mass shooting. But this time, the suspect is just 10 years old and an elementary school student.
The Young Student Allegedly Made Threats In A Text Message
A 10-year-old boy in Florida was arrested on Saturday for allegedly threatening in a text message to conduct a mass shooting, according to local police.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said the fifth grader at a Cape Coral elementary school had sent a “threatening text message,” and police were notified. He was charged with making a written threat to conduct a mass shooting.
Recent Texas School Shooting Leaves Communities On High Alert
This incident occurred just days after a mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, that left 19 students and two teachers dead.
“This student’s behavior is sickening, especially after the recent tragedy in Uvalde, Texas,” Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said in a statement.
Marceno said they were made aware of the threats on Saturday, and the school threat enforcement team was notified and began analytical research on the threat. Detectives then interviewed the boy and developed probable cause for his arrest.
Some Question Whether The Response Is Too Harsh
While some have questioned whether such harsh steps are warranted against a child, Marceno stood by his decision and said the child will face tough consequences for his actions.
“Making sure our children are safe is paramount,” Marceno said. “We will have law and order in our schools! My team didn’t hesitate one second…NOT ONE SECOND, to investigate this threat.”
The child has not been identified by authorities. Marceno said the boy who attended Patriot Elementary School in Cape Coral, which is near Fort Myers on Florida's Gulf Coast. It is unclear if he is still a student at the school.
Marceno Stands By His 'Tough On Crime' Approach To Policing
Marceno’s office also posted a video of the young boy r walking out of the sheriff’s office in handcuffs.
“Right now is not the time to act like a little delinquent,” Marceno said. “It’s not funny. This child made a fake threat, and now he’s experiencing real consequences.”
The "tough on crime" remarks come as authorities in Texas come under scrutiny for their response to the shooting. Information has come out that they waited roughly an hour for backup instead of immediately moving in on the gunman, which could have lead to more lives being lost.
]]>The Inquisitr
