VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – Over a weeklong period in early March, Volusia County authorities arrested at least five juveniles, ages 10 to 15, on suspicion of making threats to shoot, kill, or blow up other students.
More than two dozen threats have been reported so far this school year in Volusia County, according to Sheriff Mike Chitwood. He expects the tally to top the 35 logged in the 2024‑25 school year.
“If you’re going to get in front of the keyboard (and make a threat) and you’re in Volusia County, you’re getting arrested, and you’re getting perp-walked,” said Chitwood.
Most juveniles arrested for making threats are transported to the Volusia County Family Resource Center, a facility run by the sheriff’s office that assesses the youths’ needs and makes referrals to social services.
“Every kid that comes in the back door, they get fingerprinted, photographed, and their DNA is taken,” Chitwood said.
While locked up in a holding cell for a few hours, detainees peering through the steel cage can see a slogan painted on a wall above the exit door that reads, “The opportunity to turn your life around begins now.”
But before the suspected juvenile offenders are brought into the assessment center, Volusia County deputies often parade the arrestees in front of a camera.
Unredacted videos of the arrests are later posted on the sheriff’s social media accounts, along with the juveniles’ names. It’s a controversial - and legal - technique that’s been criticized by some detainees’ families.
The sheriff said one purpose of the “perp walk” videos is to encourage parents to have conversations with their children about the serious consequences of making threats.
“It is absolute zero tolerance,” said Chitwood. “It gets the parents on board and gets the parents to say, ‘Oh my god, I don’t want that to be my child.’”
Since juvenile court records are confidential under Florida law, it is difficult for the community to find out how serious cases are resolved after young offenders are taken into custody.
Most youth accused of making threats are released to a parent or guardian within a few hours, according to the sheriff, but more serious or repeat offenders may be referred to the state-run Volusia Regional Juvenile Detention Center for longer detainment.
The cases are then reviewed and evaluated by the office of State Attorney R.J. Larizza.
“A lot of these kids are young, 10-13 years of age,” said Larizza. “It used to be the older ones were making these threats.”
The state attorney’s office has one prosecutor who handles all juvenile cases in the 7th Circuit, which includes Volusia, Flagler, St. Johns, and Putnam counties.
“That makes for consistency across the board,” Larizza said. “She sees all the cases. The trends. The age groups. She sees it all.”
The state attorney’s office assesses each suspected offender on a case-by-case basis while examining criteria such as the child’s age, discipline history, and the seriousness of the threat.
Larizza estimates that about 70-80% of threat cases are referred to the Juvenile Diversion Alternative Program, or JDAP, which is administered by a private vendor through the state’s Department of Juvenile Justice.
“They might have to do community service. They might go to anger management. There might be counseling involving the families,” the state attorney said. “And then if they complete all of the things that they’re required to through this diversion program, the charges are dropped, and then they go on with their lives.”
Young people who are ineligible for the diversion program, including those accused of more serious or repeat offenses, could be arraigned in juvenile court on a type of charging document called a petition.
Depending on the outcome of those court proceedings, those juveniles might face additional detention or be placed on probation under state supervision.
Courts can also require offenders or their families to repay law enforcement for the costs of responding to the threat.
Hoping to deter threats and other crimes committed by young people, Larizza’s office has partnered with school districts to produce podcasts featuring students.
The state attorney’s office has also produced public service announcements.
“We want these kids to get help. We don’t want them to commit these crimes again,” said Larizza. “But we also want them to understand that this system is not as forgiving as maybe their home is.”
Volusia County’s sheriff believes parents shoulder much of the responsibility, including monitoring their children’s social media.
“If you’re raising your kid right, and you’re on top of what they’re doing, and you explain the consequences to them, we won’t have this issue,” Chitwood said.