PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office says they have arrested two individuals for making separate threats to two of the high schools in Charlotte County.
The Sheriff's Office said in a news released, On Wednesday, a Charlotte High School student was added to a Snapchat group chat where she noticed that a member of the chat, had sent a message that he was planning a school shooting. The CHS student informed her mother who contacted the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.
The student was later located at his place of work. He was arrested for sending written threats to conduct a mass shooting.
Only one day prior, the Sheriff's Office received a request for the Florida FBI Taskforce about text messages from a local teen. Charlotte County Detectives were able to find the student was from Port Charlotte High School, the student was in communication with another teen in Pennsylvania.
According to the sheriff's office the texts said he was going to quote: "shoot up the school."
The student in Pennsylvania told her mother, who then reported it to authorities. The Port Charlotte teen was located at his home and transported for questioning later arrested. He was charged with written threats to conduct a mass shooting. He was transported to the Juvenile Assessment Center
The Sheriff said in the news release:
“I am very glad that both of these individuals were caught before they even had the chance to carry out their threats. We live in a world where technology is a blessing and a curse. Parents, I encourage you to talk to your children about the seriousness of what they say, what they do, and what they post. Once they hit send, especially on something as serious as a school threat, it is far too late.”
Sheriff Bill Prummell
