- September 18, 2024
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A 13-year-old Buddy Taylor Middle School student was arrested on Sept. 16 because of a post she made to Instagram threatening students at the school.
The girl posted to Instagram, on Sunday, Sept. 15, "12:05 be ready to die if you go to BTMS” while using knife and gun emojis, according to a press release from the Flagler County Sheriff's Office. The student's mother brought her daughter into school on Monday to report the post, where the student was arrested.
The girl is being charged with making a written/electronic threat of a mass shooting, a felony charge. According to the girl's arrest report, her mother saw the post on Sept. 15 and made her daughter delete it after the mother took a screen shot of the post.
The student told FCSO deputies that she did not believe what she posted was that serious, the report said. She said she posted it while talking to a friend about what happens during school school shootings and that she had no intentions to shoot anyone at school.
FCSO deputies spoke with her friend, who did not post anything online about a shooting, and the friend confirmed the two were just joking.
Sheriff Rick Staly thanked the parent for reporting the post to the school.
"The Flagler County Sheriff's Office takes all threats seriously, especially ones made towards a school or its student body," Staly said. “We don’t like arresting young teens, but we will protect Flagler County students."
Flagler County School District Superintendent LaShakia Moore said she wanted to make it clear that "such behavior is never a joke."
"Anyone who threatens the welfare of our children and our employees will be met with consequences," Moore said.
