Florida sheriff releases mug shot of 11-year-old charged with making school shooting threat

A Florida sheriff has released the mug shot and video of an 11-year-old child who was charged with a felony for allegedly making a written threat of a mass shooting. The release follows the sheriff’s recent decision to publish the mug shots of students arrested for making threats related to school shootings. In the past few days, two teenagers and the 11-year-old were taken into custody for similar offenses.

Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood, during a news conference, expressed frustration with parents, stating, “Since parents, you don’t want to raise your kids, I’m gonna start raising them.” He further emphasized that every arrest would include the public release of the students’ photos, and if possible, he would publicly display the arrested children for accountability.

The 11-year-old, a Creekside Middle School student from Port Orange, allegedly threatened a school shooting and had a “written list of people he claimed he would kill.” According to authorities, the boy showed “several weapons” during a video chat with friends and mentioned planning the shooting at Creekside or Silver Sands Middle School. Detectives were alerted through Fortify Florida, an anonymous tip service for reporting suspicious activities to law enforcement and school officials.

The sheriff’s office also released the child’s name, mug shot, and video of him being escorted to jail. NBC News has chosen not to disclose the child’s identity or show his photo, as he is a minor.