FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – A 14‑year‑old Matanzas High School student has been arrested after deputies say he sent violent threats over Snapchat, displaying a firearm and threatening to shoot two classmates during an online argument outside school hours, according to a news release.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said school resource deputies were notified Monday after a lunchtime altercation involving three boys. While reviewing written statements from two of the students, the dean noticed both referenced earlier threats made by the third boy. The dean told deputies that the teen admitted the gun shown in the video was real and belonged to his father.
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Deputies spoke with the two victims, who said the teen sent them a Snapchat video of himself holding a firearm. One reported being told the suspect would “put a bullet through his stomach,” while the other said the teen threatened to “put a bullet in his head.” A witness also told deputies he heard the suspect threaten to shoot the boys after school.
According to the release, the threats happened after the teen called a girl a “hoe,” which upset the two victims.
The teen – who News 6 is not naming because of his age – was arrested and faces charges of written or electronic threats to kill or do bodily injury. He was taken to the Flagler County jail for processing before being transferred to the Volusia Family Resource Center and turned over to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice.
“Student safety is a priority that doesn’t end at the classroom door. Through our close partnership with FCSO, we investigate every report with urgency,” said Flagler Schools Superintendent LaShakia Moore. “We ask parents to help us reinforce a critical message: threats are never a joke or a game; they carry life-altering consequences. If your student has a concern on campus, please have them reach out immediately to their teacher, an administrator, a school resource deputy, or use the FortifyFL app.”
Sheriff Rick Staly urged parents to monitor their children’s online behavior, saying threats “carry serious consequences.”
Students and parents can report threats by calling 386‑313‑4911, notifying a school resource deputy or faculty member, or submitting a tip through FortifyFL.