A 13-year-old student has been arrested in Flagler County after investigators say the teenager sent threats to “shoot Indian Trails [Middle School] up” through social media, making this the second juvenile arrested for school threats in the same week.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest on February 4, 2026, following an investigation into threatening messages sent through Snapchat. According to authorities, the teen sent written threats to kill along with two photographs of a gun in a group message on the social media platform.
A School Resource Deputy assigned to Buddy Taylor Middle School conducted an interview with the teenager. During questioning, the student claimed the messages were intended as jokes that got out of hand.
The arrest comes just days after an 11-year-old girl was arrested in a separate incident for writing threats to kill on a bathroom wall at another school. Both juveniles face charges of written threats to kill or do bodily harm, which is classified as a second-degree felony under Florida law.
Flagler Schools Superintendent LaShakia Moore emphasized the district’s commitment to taking all threats seriously regardless of intent. “We treat every threat with utmost seriousness, acting swiftly to ensure that the educational environment remains secure,” Moore said. “This collaboration between the FCSO and Flagler Schools enables immediate action and investigation of any threat reported within our district.”
Moore called on parents to have conversations with their children about the serious nature of making threats. “School safety is a collective effort that extends beyond the classroom walls. We ask parents to remind their children that written or spoken threats have serious, life-altering consequences. To us, this is never just a joke or a game, and we will take them seriously,” she said.
Sheriff Rick Staly expressed hope that the two arrests would serve as a warning to other students considering similar behavior. “One would hope this 13-year-old’s arrest along with the arrest of an 11-year-old girl for writing threats to kill on a bathroom wall deters other students from this type of behavior,” Staly said.
The sheriff urged parents to take an active role in monitoring their children’s online activities. “Let this be a reminder for parents to be the Sheriff of your own home and to monitor your children’s activities online and teach them the consequences of their actions and how to properly handle disagreements. That education will last them for a lifetime,” Staly said.
Staly made clear that claiming a threat was made in jest does not provide legal protection. “There is no gray area in the law and telling us it was a joke is not a defense. The defense is to not do it in the first place,” he said.
Following the arrest, the juvenile was transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility before being transferred to the Department of Juvenile Justice.
Authorities are encouraging students and parents who become aware of potential threats to report them immediately. For immediate threats, residents should call 911. Non-emergency tips can be reported through the Fortify App or online at www.flaglersheriff.com.
The post Second Student Arrested This Week for Written Threats Against Flagler County School first appeared on Flagler County Buzz.
