FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly announced Thursday an 11-year-old was arrested in connection with a series of “swatting” threats made this year against several schools.
Staly said the boy was responsible for “swatting” calls made to schools in several states, including Nebraska, Kansas, Alabama, Tennessee, and even Alaska.
“This kid’s behavior was escalating and becoming more dangerous,” Staly said. “I’m glad we got him before he escalated out of control and hurt someone.”
The suspect was found in Virginia. State Attorney RJ Larizza says there will be a hearing Friday in Virginia, with the hope of getting him extradited to Florida.
The boy was arrested on 14 felony counts of false report concerning the planting of a bomb, 14 felony counts of unlawful use of a two-way communication device, one felony count of tampering with physical evidence, and 14 misdemeanor counts of disrupting a a school function.
However, Larizza says they are still working on deciding exactly what charges the boy will officially face, and whether he will be charged as an adult.
“Swatting” is a rising trend nationwide where a caller makes fake reports that draw an onslaught of law enforcement and cause lockdowns, according to the sheriff’s office. Since May 14, the sheriff’s office has said that Buddy Taylor Middle School has received multiple “swatting” calls. Old Kings Elementary, First Baptist Christian Academy and Suncoast Community School have also received threats, according to the sheriff’s office.
Staly says the suspect learned about Buddy Taylor Middle School through a friend in a chat room. Once he started to see news coverage of the threat, which Staly said he called “trophies,” the suspect reportedly started looking up other Flagler County Schools. Staly said investigators believe he was responsible for all but one of the Flagler school incidents, as well as incidents in Volusia County.
There was another bomb threat called into Buddy Taylor Middle School that was described as a “copycat threat.” A 13-year-old boy was arrested May 17 in Daytona Beach for the threat as part of what Staly said was a dare from a friend.
The May 17 swatting marked the fourth day in a row that the school had received a threatening call, each time being visited, searched and cleared by Flagler County deputies. Following the sheriff’s office’s response to the middle school’s campus the day prior, Staly held a news conference to announce FDLE, the sheriff’s office’s Homeland Security Section and the FBI were now involved in tracking down the origin of the repeated calls.
You can see a full list of swatting incidents at Flagler and Marion schools in the last few months by going HERE.
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