On Thursday, Florida officials announced that an 11-year-old child from Virginia had made more than 20 bomb or shooting threats by phone to schools and other locations.
During a news conference, Rick Staly, the sheriff of Flagler County, stated that authorities had worked diligently to identify the caller prior to the start of the new school year. He added that the boy’s actions were getting worse and more harmful, and it was a relief to have found him before he escalated any further and hurt someone.
The boy’s actions are known as “swatting,” which refers to the practice of phoning emergency services in an effort to have a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) squad or other armed police officers go to a specific location.
Between May 14 and May 22, Flagler County emergency services were continually notified of bomb threats at Buddy Taylor Middle School. The calls were traced to a residence in Henrico County, Virginia, near Richmond. Authorities stated that the 11-year-old child who resided at the address acknowledged placing the swatting calls.
He also phoned in a threat to the Maryland State House. According to investigators, he also made swatting calls to Tennessee, Alaska, Alabama, Nebraska, and Kansas.
Sheriff Staly said that the minor had footage of animals being killed and claimed to be getting paid in cryptocurrencies to make swatting calls. As far as Staly could tell, the child seemed more proud of his actions than sorry.
Authorities have charged the juvenile with fourteen misdemeanors and twenty-nine felonies. While authorities in Florida work to have him extradited, he is being held in a juvenile detention center in Virginia.
Officials in Florida reported that a 13-year-old was taken into custody in May, a few days after the first report, for allegedly threatening Buddy Taylor Middle School with a copycat attack.