PORT ST. JOHNS, Fla. – A man, Brevard County deputies said threatened to kill children and who lives close enough to walk to their school, is back in jail, but some parents are now turning their attention to the school district, they said, for not telling them about the threats sooner.
Marvin Guth, 48, was arrested in March after the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office said Guth threatened to burn down Enterprise Elementary School.
The school is right next to Space Coast Jr./Sr. High School, where on Thursday, deputies said Guth started a lockdown when he parked his car next to the school gate.
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Brint Bauer told Port St. John Community Correspondent James Sparvero that parents feel ‘extremely uneasy’ about the suspect’s record of being trespassed from schools.
“In February, he threatened to kill all of our children, get a yearbook, and make sure that history remembered these children forever,” Bauer said. “It was 15 days later, he was arrested on our campus, and again, we were not told. It seems that this man is extremely dangerous and has a fixation with our school, and this will be the next school shooting,” he said.
Deputies said Guth also lives in the same neighborhood as the school.
Bauer said parents are now handing out flyers to alert more neighbors to how close Guth lives to Enterprise and Space Coast.
“Aside from the neighbors that are right next to him, no one has heard about this, and they are extremely concerned about this, as well,” Bauer said. “He has a long history dating back years that was kept from the parents. In my opinion, they chose attendance over the the safety of all of our children.”
Brevard Public Schools sent families a letter on Monday from the superintendent, Dr. Mark Rendell.
You can read the full letter below:
Dear Families of Space Coast Jr./Sr. High and Enterprise Elementary,
I want to take a moment to speak directly to you, not just as the Superintendent, but as a fellow member of this community who shares your concern for the safety and well-being of our children.
On the morning of October 9, Space Coast Jr./Sr. High went into lockdown after a vehicle belonging to an individual previously trespassed from school property was found near the school gate. Enterprise Elementary, located nearby, initiated a shelter-in-place protocol out of caution. Both schools responded quickly and appropriately, and the lockdown was lifted once the situation was secure.
Thanks to the swift action of our school teams and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, everyone remained safe. The individual involved was located at his home and arrested.
Throughout the morning, we made it a priority to keep you informed, because we know how important it is for families to hear directly from us in moments like these. We wanted you to know your children were safe, and that we were doing everything possible to keep it that way.
This incident highlighted the strength of our safety protocols and the deep partnership we have with law enforcement. From on-campus security specialists and school resource officers to our district’s central security hub and real-time camera monitoring, we have multiple layers of protection in place every day. These systems worked exactly as they should.
We also want to acknowledge the background of this situation. The individual involved had been previously trespassed from school property—once in 2023 and again earlier this year—after exhibiting concerning behavior in the school parking lot. In each instance, our schools followed established safety procedures and worked closely with law enforcement to ensure everyone’s safety.
I’m proud of how our schools responded. I’m grateful to the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office for their immediate and thorough support. And most of all, I’m thankful to our families for your trust, patience, and partnership.
We remain committed to transparency, safety, and continuous improvement. If you have questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Warm regards,
Dr. Mark Rendell
Superintendent, Brevard Public Schools
School board member Megan Wright is a parent at Space Coast.
When Sparvero asked her about the other parents’ concerns, Wright said it’s time to address Florida’s laws on school threats.
“It doesn’t include verbal threats,” she said. “So, that’s probably something we need to look at changing with our legislators. I wanna make sure that everyone’s children are coming home at the end of the day, including my own child.”
Wright also said she won’t pull her child from the school, after some other parents said they will be.
“My child will absolutely still be in the school,” she said. “So, I know our children are safe.”
Some parents took comfort knowing that Guth’s in jail without bond this time.
Judge Michelle Baker Friday also ordered that he can’t go within a thousand feet of the campus, which was imposed on him before.
His house is 1,050 feet away.
“You live .2 miles away,” Baker asked Guth during his initial court appearance.
“I’m not 100% sure, ma’am,” Guth answered. “I trust your judgment, for sure.”