Tallahassee, Florida —
After becoming sick of receiving fake threats to shoot up schools, a sheriff in Florida decided to try something new: he would post the mugshot of any suspect on social media to reach out to parents and children.
Following the tragic incident at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, which claimed the lives of two students and two instructors, there has been an upsurge in school shooting hoaxes, according to law enforcement officials in Florida and nationwide.
Hoaxes involving students, schools, and law enforcement have become old news to Mike Chitwood, sheriff of Volusia County on the Atlantic coast of Florida.
Chitwood threatened parents in Monday’s social media posts that he would make sure the public knew if their children are arrested for making similar threats.
“Since you parents don’t want to raise your kids, I’m going to start raising them,” Chitwood remarked. A picture of your child will be made public whenever an arrest is made. Plus, if I’m up to the task, I’ll give your child a perp walk so that everyone can follow his or her every move.
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An 11-year-old child was arrested for allegedly threatening to carry out a school shooting at Creekside or Silver Sands Middle School in Volusia County, and Chitwood announced in a video showcasing the arrest. The full name and mugshot of the juvenile offender were shared by Chitwood on his Facebook profile.
Law enforcement officials assert that the child was “showing off” to his classmates as the camera panned across a conference table adorned with airsoft weapons, pistols, fake ammunition, knives, and swords. The video had over 270,000 views on Facebook as of Monday afternoon.
In a later scene, the camera pans out to see police officers escorting a kid in handcuffs into a secure facility as he is clothed in a blue flannel button-down shirt, black sweatpants, and slip-on sandals. The boy’s face is seen on several occasions throughout the video.
“Right this way, young man,” an officer instructs the chained child.
A cop shuts the door behind him and leads the child into a vacant cell, shackling him by the wrists and ankles with metal shackles.
Inquiring, “Do you have any questions?” the officer bolts the door.
The young man responds with a firm “No, sir.”
A flood of responses ensued on social media in response to the video, with many locals thanking Chitwood and urging him to either publicly identify the parents or perhaps punish them.
Some people voiced their disapproval of the sheriff’s decision, arguing that the parents should shoulder the blame because the boy is just eleven years old.
While juvenile records in Florida are typically shielded from public access, this exemption does not apply in cases involving felony charges, as is the case here.
Everywhere throughout Florida, authorities have been keeping tabs on a steady flow of threats ever since the 2024–2025 academic year started. Nine pupils, ranging in age from eleven to fifteen, have been detained in Broward County, where Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School is located, for threats made since August, according to officials’ announcement last week.
According to Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony, “Nothing about this is a laughing or joking matter.” He reiterated this to parents and students getting ready for school during a press conference.
Furthermore, he emphasized to the parents and pupils that this is not a game.
___City News Initiative corps member Kate Payne works for The Associated Press and Report for America. As part of its national service program, the nonprofit organization Report for America deploys journalists in community newsrooms so they can cover under-reported stories.
