UPDATE:
The Lee County Sheriff's Office arrested a Cypress Lake High School student after deputies say he had a killer’s manifesto and researched mass shootings on his school-issued laptop.
Fox 4’s Austin Schargorodski went to the school to talk with parents about the arrest but first went to court.
Schargorodski was the only reporter inside a Lee County courtroom Wednesday morning when Jack Warrick made his first appearance. According to his arrest report, a week earlier, a student at his school told a school resource officer that Warrick said he killed a kitten on Valentine’s Day and showed them a gun magazine.
Watch Austin's report:
The report says the SRO at Cypress Lake High then searched Warrick’s school-issued Chromebook and found searches for a killer’s manifesto and mass shootings. Detectives later searched his phone and laptop and say they found messages where Warrick described violent plans he fantasized about carrying out.
Parents and grandparents outside the school said the case left them uneasy. “As a grandmother, you’re concerned about your grandchild,” said Carmalita Dowling.
Timothy Spomar, another parent, said, “My son was very concerned, obviously, because he goes here, and he was apprehensive about actually going to school today.”
The Lee County Sheriff’s School Threat Enforcement Team says they’ve handled more than 200 threat investigations and made nearly 50 arrests just this school year.
Warrick is charged with transmitting an electronic threat to conduct an act of terrorism.
In court, a judge ordered him to remain in secure detention for 24 days. “Upon your release, you’re to have no possession of firearms or ammunition, and you’ll have no unsupervised use of electronic devices,” said Judge Tracy Redd. Warrick will have another hearing on February 26, when a judge will decide if he should stay in detention longer.
In a statement, Cypress Lake High School said the students who spoke up helped prevent potential danger. And parents told Fox 4 they’re thankful for that.
“I’m just glad that someone saw something and said something,” Spomar said.
ORIGINAL REPORTING:
The judge in this case found probable cause to keep Jack Warrick in secure detention for 24 days.
During the case, and after he is released, he won’t be allowed to have any firearms or ammunition.
You can watch video from the court proceedings here:
He also cannot use electronic devices without supervision.
A public defender was also appointed to represent him.
A follow-up hearing has been scheduled for February 26 to review whether Warrick should stay in detention for a longer term.
Another court date is set for March 10 at 9 a.m.
ORIGINAL STORY:
The Lee County Sheriff's Office has arrested a student of Cypress Lake High School for making threats against the school.
The office reports someone told the school resource officer that the student, a 15-year-old, had said some concerning things and had a magazine about different types of firearms.
The officer and detectives looked into his search history, and found a killer's manifesto, articles about school shootings, and even communications about plans he fantasized about carrying out.
Authorities charged him for transmitting an electronic threat to conduct an act of terrorism. They will continue to investigate the matter.
