Numerous Tips Lead To Arrest Of Student In School Shooting Threat

Date Added: January 21, 2020 9:40 am

Andrew Gant
Office of Public Affairs & Media Relations

NUMEROUS TIPS LEAD TO ARREST OF STUDENT IN SCHOOL SHOOTING THREAT

A 13-year-old student who posted a threat to shoot up Heritage Middle School on Thursday was identified and arrested this weekend after the Sheriff’s Office received numerous tips about the threat.

The tips started coming in Friday evening after several people noticed a private Instagram account called “shooting_up_heritage_middle_” with a bio stating “IM COMING,” “i am shooting up heritage middle school Thursday, January 23” and “yourdoneheritage.com.”

Volusia Sheriff’s Office deputies working with the Domestic Security Unit and Volusia County Crime Center traced the account to an address in Deltona, where they located the 13-year-old boy who created the account. He said he was joking. After being interviewed, he was taken into custody early Saturday on a charge of making written threats to kill or cause a mass shooting, and he was transported to the Department of Juvenile Justice.

Screenshots of the Instagram post continue to appear on social media, and the Sheriff’s Office has continued to receive tips.