Florida sheriff lets 11-year-old boy go on murder list after he threatened to shoot

Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood announced the arrest of an 11-year-old boy who he said had a kill list and made threats at two different schools. Chitwood wrote on Facebook Monday, “As promised, we just arrested a student at Creekside Middle School who had threatened to go on a shooting spree at Creekside or Silver Sands Middle School. He had written a list of names and targets. He says it was all a hoax.” He said officers recovered airsoft rifles, pistols and fake ammunition, as well as knives, swords and other weapons he showed to other students in a Facetime call. Some said they couldn't tell if the weapons were real or fake. The boy is also believed to have made a kill list. Officers found a paper with several names on it that also showed stab wounds. “It makes you not want to send your kids to school anymore,” said Steven Alkire, parent of a Creekside Middle School student. It really does. And, you know, unfortunately, you can't stay home and homeschool the kids. So we're kind of forced to send them to school.” The boy is charged with a written threat of a mass shooting, Chitwood said. When questioned by officers, he reportedly said it was all a “joke.” “It's pretty scary,” Alkire said. “Definitely scary. And with everything going on in this country, it really makes you nervous.” “PS: I can and will publish the names and photos of juveniles who are committing these crimes, threatening our students, disrupting our school operations and consuming law enforcement resources,” Chitwood said in the post. WESH decided not to release the boy's identity because he is a minor. The sheriff also reminds parents and students that these threats disrupt school operations and consume law enforcement resources. It costs the department thousands of dollars to investigate all threats, even those that are fake. In an email, a district spokesperson said, “While VCS does not comment on individual student disciplinary cases, safety is our top priority, and this situation is an example of how the security measures at our schools, as well as our partnership with law enforcement, ensure the safety of our students and staff. Thank you to the students who spoke up and made a tip when they heard something suspicious. We take all reports extremely seriously and work with law enforcement to ensure they are thoroughly investigated.” We continue to encourage our students to immediately notify an adult or send Fortify Florida a tip if they see or hear anything.Related: Sanford Police Arrest 15-Year-Old Who Allegedly Threatened School Shooting Florida Plagued by Violence Threats at Schools Since schools resumed last month, schools across Florida have been plagued by threats of violence. In Central Florida last week, a 15-year-old in Sanford was arrested for making threats, and a student was found with an unloaded gun on the Altamonte Springs campus.Two students were arrested in Orlando after a loaded gun was found in a backpack. In a Sept. 13 video on Facebook, Chitwood said 54 tips about school shooting threats had been received. All of them were deemed false, he said, adding that the hoax cost more than $20,000 in response resources. “Starting Monday, we will be releasing the name of your little angel and going after them to find perpetrators after the arrest,” Chitwood said. “And we will be showing pictures of you, the parents, because you don't want to raise your child; Sheriff Chitwood will raise them.”Related: Student found with gun on campus in AT, officials say