Authorities announced on Thursday that an 11-year-old child from Virginia has been charged in Florida for making over 20 threats to schools and other locations using explosives or guns.
During a press conference, Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly stated that authorities made a concerted effort to locate the caller prior to the start of the new school year.
“This kid’s behavior was escalating and becoming more dangerous,” Staly stated. “I’m glad we got him before he escalated out of control and hurt someone.”
Swatting is the term for calling emergency services on the spur of the moment in an attempt to dispatch an armed police officer or a SWAT squad to a specific location.
On May 14, authorities claimed, Flagler County emergency services were first notified of a bomb threat at Buddy Taylor Middle School. Between then and May 22, more threats were made. On Florida’s Atlantic coast, in the center of the state, is Flagler County.
The calls were traced by investigators to a house outside of Richmond in Henrico County, Virginia.
When local deputies searched the house this month, the 11-year-old resident acknowledged making the Florida swatting calls and threatening the Maryland State House, according to the authorities.
Subsequently, investigators discovered that in addition to Nebraska, Kansas, Alabama, Tennessee, and Alaska, the youngster had made swatting calls.
Read Also: For “Indecent Liberties” With a Kid, a High School Teacher in North Carolina Was Jailed
According to authorities, the boy is accused of 29 felonies and 14 misdemeanors. While Florida authorities make arrangements for his extradition, he is being detained at a juvenile prison center in Virginia. It wasn’t immediately clear from the investigation whether the boy was related to Florida.
A 13-year-old boy was detained in Florida in May for posing a copycat threat against Buddy Taylor Middle School, according to authorities, a few days after the original call.
