The Volusia Sheriff's has made an arrest in the investigation of threats placed against Port Orange's Creekside Middle School and Silver Sands Middle School. The agency also decided to make the 11-year-old suspect's name and mugshot public, a controversial call that ultimately lies within their own prerogative as a law enforcement agency.
The identity of children suspected or charged in crimes is often withheld by news organizations even when legally obtainable, especially when they're younger than their teenage years. This can be harder to realistically do as the offense in question becomes more severe, being virtually unavoidable in cases such as homicides or other serious crimes. In cases such as these, news outlets often decline to further share photos or names even when they're released publicly by law enforcement.
Detectives with the VSO were alerted to the student's threats through a third-party reporting portal, prompting them to investigate the child in question. They conducted a search at his residence, reportedly discovering a written list of targets and an array of weaponry including airsoft guns, fake ammo, a slingshot, knives, and swords. The child told deputies he only made the threat as a joke for his friends, but he was nonetheless arrested and taken to the Volusia Family Resource Center. After being processed, he was taken to the Department of Juvenile Justice.
Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood addressed the controversial decision to disclose the student's identity in a post to his personal Facebook, in which he again posted the boy's mugshot. "I can and will release the names and photos of juveniles who are committing these felonies, threatening our students, disrupting our schools and consuming law enforcement resources," he said. "You can expect video coming up next."
In a news conference about the incident, Chitwood further elaborated that releasing the kids' photos was intended as a move to combat what he considers poor parenting. "Since, parents, you don't want to raise your kids, I'm gonna start raising them," he said. "Your kid's photo is gonna be put out there. If I can do it, I'm gonna perp-walk your kid so that everybody can see what your kid's up to."
