FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – Two teenage boys are accused of making threats to shoot students and teachers during a formal dance at Indian Trails Middle School, according to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies said a 13-year-old boy and 14-year-old boy were having a conversation with a girl on the school bus in which they made comments telling her to hide on Friday because they were going to orchestrate a school shooting.
The boys said they would possibly pull the fire alarm to get people in the hallway and they wanted to do it during the formal dance because, "There were going to be a lot more people in one spot," the affidavit said.
The girl was scared to the point of tears by the boys' comments telling her to hide and not come to school, according to the report.
When questioned by authorities, one boy claimed that he was just joking.
“Threatening to bring guns on campus or to shoot anyone is no joking matter and has again led to the arrest of two students,” Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said. “The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has a zero tolerance policy on school threats. We don’t like making these arrests but all threats will be taken seriously and thoroughly investigated and, where appropriate, arrests or charges will be made."
Officials urged parents to talk to their children about the seriousness of making threats.
“I ask all our parents to sit down with their children and have a serious discussion about school safety,” Flagler Schools Superintendent James Tager said. “We, along with Sheriff Staly, are committed to ensuring our schools are safe learning environments and, as we’ve seen numerous times over the past few weeks, any threat to that safety will be dealt with in a serious manner.”
Both teens were charged with false report concerning the use of firearms in a violent manner, which is a felony.