Palm Coast, FL - A 12-year-old Buddy Taylor Middle School student is now facing charges after deputies learned they threatened to shoot up their school.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) learned about the threat on Thursday (Sept. 30) after a staff member at Buddy Taylor approached the school resource deputy about something a student had told them. Per the staff member’s narrative, the student stated they were going to come to the school and shoot it up before making a statement about killing everyone.
The staff member further stated the student returned to their classroom after being in the Dean’s Office for disciplinary issues. The student was visibly and vocally upset so the staff member grew concerned and tried to get the student to come to her desk area to calm them down.
The student then told the teacher they were going to come to the school and “shoot all you up in here. All you will be dead.”
The FCSO made contact with the student at their residence. When asked, the student told deputies they knew why they were questioning them. The student said “because I threatened to shoot up the school but I was just playing.” The student then added that they were mad and only made the threat as a joke.
Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly, on the other hand, said no one was laughing.
“Threats are not a joke and will always be taken seriously,” Sheriff Staly said. “We don’t like making these arrests but we will come knocking on your door if your child makes any threat to harm someone. Florida law is black and white and law enforcement has no flexibility so I once again ask parents to be the Sheriff of your home and help us prevent it by talking to your kids about the seriousness of getting mad and making stupid comments like this. Teach them the proper way to handle their anger as they will need those skills for a successful life as an adult.”
The student was arrested without incident for written threats to kill and was transported to the Flagler County Jail for processing. They were then turned over to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice in Daytona Beach.
