Another Buddy Taylor Student Charged With Shooting Threat

Third Buddy Taylor student arrested in one month

Posted

Palm Coast, FL - For the third time in this month alone, another Buddy Taylor Middle School student is facing charges for threatening to shoot another student, this time on the bus.

The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) says the school resource deputy (SRD) for Buddy Taylor was told about the threat on Friday (Oct. 15). The SRD learned an 8th grade student made threats to shoot another student while riding the bus home the previous day. 

During the investigation, the victim told the deputy that the suspect stated he was going to get a gun and shoot him. The victim said he “would take a bullet for his sister and everyone else on the bus,” according to the FCSO.

The suspect, who initially denied that any threats were made, was interviewed and advised he and the victim have had an ongoing issue also involving the victim’s sister. The suspect said the victim threatened to get his father on the bus and that’s when he threatened to get a gun and shoot him.

The suspect added that he made the threat because he was afraid the victim’s father would hurt him.

“This has to stop. Students, violence is not the answer and will only get you in serious trouble,” Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly said. “Parents, talk to your children, now! Whether you think it is a joke or not, making a threat is a crime with serious consequences. We cannot stress the fact enough that making a threat will be taken seriously in Flagler County as we have a zero-tolerance policy.”

The juvenile was charged with written threats to kill and transported to the Flagler County Jail. They have since been released into the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice in Daytona Beach.

News Daytona Beach reached out to the Flagler County School District to seek a comment on the status of Buddy Taylor and why there has been an influx in student arrests. While the district declined to comment—due to scheduling conflicts with a school board meeting—district spokesperson Jason Wheeler said in an email: "We continue to remind ALL our students on all our campuses that threats are not taken lightly and that they must be aware of the words they use."