Two students, ages 13 and 14, were arrested overnight between Thursday and Friday for threats allegedly posted to social media referencing a would-be school shooting. Both students attend Heritage Middle School at 1001 Parnell Ct in Deltona.
The suspects are alleged by the Volusia Sheriff's Office to have posted threats to TikTok and Instagram saying they'd be committing a school shooting at Heritage. Though they didn't specify whether these were the circumstances of these threats, the VSO made a point to mention that 'joke' threats would be taken seriously and anonymous social media accounts are traceable.
The VSO also stated that no 'credible threats' have been discovered to any Volusia County Schools. Along with Sheriff Mike Chitwood, Volusia Superintendent Dr. Carmen Balgobin is urging parents and guardians to proactively instill upon their kids not to make statements which could land them in trouble for violent threats. The VSO and Volusia County schools are also urging parents to report any potential threats they're made aware of, no matter if they seem to be likely hoaxes.
The threats come just days after two other arrests of a 10 and 11-year-old for threats against Halifax Academy and Westside Elementary School respectively, both in Daytona Beach. One of those two students was found with a BB-gun and ammo. The nation as a whole is still healing from a shooting just over a week ago at Apalachee High School in Georgia, in which a 14-year-old gunman killed four and injured nine.
Data shows that school shooting victimization in America is rising sharply over a period beginning in about 2017. 2022 was the worst year on record, with 71 deaths and 206 injuries over 308 incidents nationwide. Florida in particular had the deadliest high school shooting in American history in February 2018, when gunman Nikolas Cruz killed 17 and wounded 17 more at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Survivors of that shooting have headed up large factions of the modern political push for tighter regulations on firearms and ammunition.
