A 14-year-old Lakeland student has been arrested for reportedly threatening George Jenkins High School on Snapchat.
On Tuesday, February 27, Polk County Sheriff's Office deputies arrested the Lakeland teen for one count of written threat to kill or injure others.
The student was recently expelled from Lakeland Christian School after he posted two threats on Snapchat threatening to shoot and kill students at George Jenkins High School.
Deputies say on February 22 a student at George Jenkins High School saw a Snapchat post about students wanting to plan a walkout and a peaceful protest at the school. The student arrested posted a follow-up response on Snapchat saying, "I don't even go to GJ but honestly this is so dumb. I might pull up and AR-15 those dumb a**es sitting outside." The student arrested was using a fake name on the photo sharing app. The student who saw the post reported it to the School Resource Deputy at George Jenkins High School.
Deputies located the student responsible and he admitted to deputies that it was his post and his username. He told deputies that his comment was "really stupid."
Deputies responded to Lakeland Christian School to question the student. In the video in question, the student was holding what appears to be a wooden toy rifle saying, "guys, so today at school for show and tell, I'm going to bring my trusty uhh state of my AR-15 you know, I'm just gonna walk in and be like hey you're that kid that bullied me and then trip and pull the trigger and I don't know how that happened but somehow I shot 17 people and killed a lot more." The student admitted to making the video but he says he intended for it to be a "joke." He admitted that "some people may not see it that way." When asked what he meant about going to GJHS to "AR-15" students, he replied, "Like what happened at Parkland High School."
Deputies found the toy gun he posed with in the video during a search of his home.
"Our deputies have investigated numerous school threats over the past two weeks. Most of them have been rumors, but we treat any and all threats relating to schools and students very seriously. If we find that a threat has been made and criminal charges are applicable, make no mistake - we will arrest the person responsible. These situations are not to be taken lightly. We appreciate the students who saw something, and said something, by reporting it to their school resource deputy and their school administrators." - Grady Judd, Sheriff
