FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – A 17-year-old Flagler Palm Coast High School student was arrested Thursday after deputies say he threatened on social media to "shoot up the school."
A parent who saw the Snapchat video on her daughter's cellphone told the school resources officer about the post, according to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office arrest report. The video depicted what appeared to be loaded rifle magazines and additional ammunition box with a caption that read, "I'm ready to shoot up the school" with four laughing face emojis, the report states.
The school resource officer learned the name of the student through his user name, "Jimmy Boy," and called the teen, according to the report. Deputies said when they spoke with the 17-year-old and asked if that was his screen name, he said, "Yes, is this about the video?"
The student then added, "It was a stupid joke and I took it down," adding he found the video on YouTube and posted it to his Snapchat, according to the report.
Deputies arrested the teen on one count of making written threats to kill, do bodily harm or conduct a mass shooting.
When authorities contacted the student's father, he told deputies his son did not have access to firearms or ammunition at their home. The father also told deputies the Department of Juvenile Justice should "keep him," referring to the teen.
According to the Sheriff's Office, the student has previous criminal history in the county. He was charged in 2012 and 2014 for sexual battery on two different children under 12 years old. He was sentenced to a diversion program in those cases.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said the teen's history was a red flag.
"This is a kid that is, in my mind, a time bomb waiting to go off to do something much more violent," Staly said.
The sheriff said parents need to tell their children this kind of behavior won't fly under the radar.
"It's time for parents to be parents," Staly said. "They need to sit down with their kids, they need to tell them that there's certain language, certain behavior that you can not do today."