An 11-year-old Kanapaha Middle School student was arrested Wednesday after sending threatening messages to a fellow student Tuesday.
In the messages, the student stated, "I will go to your school tomorrow... There is going to be a shootout," prompting immediate concern from school staff and law enforcement.
The school resource deputy and school administrators were informed, and it was confirmed the student was not on campus.
Deputies later made contact with the student at his residence, where he admitted the threat was intended as a joke.
He was charged with written threats to do harm under Florida Statute 836.10.
The threat caused significant disruption at Kanapaha Middle School, involving multiple staff members, law enforcement, and the school resource deputy for several hours.
This incident is part of a broader issue of false threats affecting schools across the country, many of which originate from outside local areas.
The Alachua County Sheriff's Office emphasized the seriousness of these threats via Facebook, stressing the need for parents to monitor students' electronic activities to prevent future incidents from occurring.
Contact Carlos Alemany at calemany@alligator.org. Follow him on X @clos_alemany.
Carlos Alemany is a fourth year political science student and the Alligator's 2024 Criminal Justice Reporter. In his free time, you you may catch him thrifting or sketching in Gainesville.
