10-Year-Old Arrested For Threatening Mass Shooting In Text Messages

Authorities in Florida arrested a ten-year-old boy accused of sending text messages threatening to conduct a mass shooting at Patriot Elementary School in Cape Coral.

The Lee County Sheriff's Office learned about the message sent by the fifth-graded and immediately contacted the School Threat Enforcement Team, which began investigating the threat.

Detectives interviewed the student and determined the message was sent as a prank. Despite the fact that there appeared to be no real threat of violence, the young boy was taken into custody and charged with making a written threat to conduct a mass shooting.

Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno had harsh words for the boy, whose threatening messages were sent days after 19 children and two adults were murdered in a mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

"This student's behavior is sickening, especially after the recent tragedy in Uvalde, Texas," Marceno said. "Making sure our children are safe is paramount. We will have law and order in our schools! My team didn't hesitate one second…NOT ONE SECOND, to investigate this threat."

"Right now is not the time to act like a little delinquent," Marceno added. "It's not funny. This child made a fake threat, and now he's experiencing real consequences."

Because of the boy's age, the Youth Services Criminal Investigations Division is handling the case.