UF Police Arrest and Charge 14-Year-Old in School Shooting

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) – Officers with the University of Florida Police Department (UFPD) said they arrested a young teenager on Sunday after he sent a text message threatening to shoot up a local school.

The student, who was not named due to his age, threatened his school, PK Younge Development Research School.

The suspect is charged with a felony count of making a written threat of a mass shooting and is being charged as a minor.

UFPD officials said the 14-year-old sent the text message on Saturday and authorities learned of the incident overnight.

“The safety of our school community is our top priority at PK Yonge,” said Brian K. Marchman, principal and superintendent of PK Yonge. “We take any threat to security seriously and are cooperating fully with law enforcement in this investigation.”

The suspect is being held at the Alachua Regional Juvenile Detention Center.

Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

Copyright 2024 WCJB. All rights reserved.