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A 14-year-old teenager from Tampa has been arrested and charged with making threats of a mass shooting at a school in San Antonio, Texas. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office located the boy after receiving reports of an ongoing written threat.
Working alongside the FBI, investigators discovered that the teenager had posted a menacing message on a fake Instagram account, threatening a middle school with a shooting on October 21. The message included the ominous deadline: "Yall got until Friday to find out who I am Or else everyone dies."
The source of this electronic threat was traced back to a residence in Tampa. Upon questioning, the 14-year-old confessed and revealed that he had used a former classmate's photo to create the fake account. Interestingly, the teen had previously attended the Texas school but had withdrawn in February 2023.
He now faces charges of Written or Electronic Threat to Conduct a Mass Shooting or Act of Terrorism, as well as Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communications Device.
Sheriff Chad Chronister praised the quick actions of the STAR Team investigators and underscored the seriousness with which all school threats are treated, emphasizing the importance of educating children about the consequences of such actions.