A 14-year-old P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School student was arrested Sunday for sending a text message threatening to commit a shooting at the school, according to a UFPD news release.
Police charged the student with one count of written threats to conduct a mass shooting, which is a felony charge in Florida.
“This is one of those matters where we must act swiftly, given the rise of these threats and acts nationwide,” Bart Knowles, the interim UFPD chief, said in the news release.
The teen sent the message around 11 p.m. Saturday. He was taken to the Alachua Regional Juvenile Detention Center on Sunday, according to the news release.
“Keeping our school community safe is our utmost priority at P.K. Yonge,” said Brian K. Marchman, director and superintendent of P.K. Yonge. “We take any threat to safety seriously and are fully cooperating with law enforcement in this investigation.”
Florida’s schools have seen a spike in threats of violence following a school shooting at a Georgia high school, according to a Politico article.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Contact Timothy Wang at twang@alligator.org. Follow him on X @timothyw_g
Timothy Wang is a junior journalism student and the Fall 2024 Santa Fe College Reporter. He was the University Administration reporter for Summer 2024. His hobbies include gaming or reading manga.
