MARION COUNTY, Fla. -- For the first time in Marion County, a kindergartener was investigated by sheriff's deputies for allegedly claiming he put a bomb in a classmate's backpack.

Authorities said a 6-year-old was suspended from East Marion Elementary School over the alleged threat.

The boy's age was taken into consideration when the school handed out the punishment, the Local 6 report said.

"We have to do that these days," Marion County Schools administrator Kevn Christian said. "We don't have a choice of whether somebody really means something or not. We have to take it seriously. And if we didn't do that, this week it is a kindergartner, next week it is a fourth grader and the following week it is a high school student and God forbid one of them does was they actually say they would do."

The Marion County Sheriff's Office said they took the threat seriously.

"Every indication we got was there was no bomb," Marion County sheriff's Sgt. Charles Welch said. "But, once we were made aware of these situations, we have to take it seriously."

Parents told Local 6's Erik von Ancken that they were surprised over the alleged threat.

"He is just saying it to get attention, most likely," parent Kara Campbell said. "But there has to be some type of consequences."

Sheriff's Major Patti Lumpkin said it is not normal for a young child to make such comments and the child will undergo a risk assessment.

The Marion County Sheriff's Office did not identify the boy because of his age.

The school district said it has never had to deal with a threat from a student so young.

The act of making a bomb threat is a felony but the sheriff's office said it does not plan to file criminal charges against the boy.

Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.