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School Threat in Boys Bathroom Prompts Felony Arrest on Tuesday
Date Added: April 18, 2018 1:48 pm
April 17, 2018
Laura Williams, Office of Public Affairs & Media Relations
NSB MIDDLE STUDENT, 14, CHARGED WITH WRITING THREAT TO ‘SHOOT SCHOOL’ ON RESTROOM WALL
A student at New Smyrna Beach Middle School faces a felony charge after a written threat to shoot the school was found on a wall of the boys restroom in Building 11 Tuesday morning.
The 14-year-old is being charged with making a “threat to throw, project, place or discharge any destructive device with intent to do bodily harm to any person” (Florida Statute 790.162), a felony. He becomes the 24th student charged by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office since the massacre Feb. 14 in Parkland.
A School Resource Deputy (SRD) was called Tuesday at 10:39 a.m. after a student reported seeing the threat, and a drawing, written in green marker in the restroom. School staff reviewed video surveillance and narrowed the time frame for the incident to between 9:54 a.m. and 10:20 a.m. The suspect was identified as having been in the bathroom for six minutes during that time. He happened to visit the office at 11:15 a.m. to report that he observed writing on the bathroom wall.
During the investigation, the teen was asked if he had a green marker on him and he responded that he did. A search of the suspect’s backpack netted several pieces of paper containing the same drawing that was observed on the wall. When asked, the student said he did write the threat on the wall. He was placed under arrest and will be transported to the Department of Juvenile Justice.
Since the 17 shootings occurred Feb. 14 at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, schools all over the country have grappled with students making false threats at school and on social media for reasons that are unclear.
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood and school officials have repeatedly warned they have zero tolerance for anyone inciting fear by making threats and jokes about shootings, bombings and other acts of violence at school or on social media. Despite the warnings, at least 24 Volusia County students have been arrested for making such threats since Feb. 14. In addition, defendants or their families will be held responsible for paying the cost of the Sheriff’s Office’s response to their cases – that cost is estimated to be $1,032 per case.