Fed up with numerous false school shooting threats, Florida Sheriff Mike Chitwood followed through on his warning to publicly embarrass minors who make such threats. After receiving 54 school threat tips, all of which turned out to be false, Chitwood released the mug shot of an 11-year-old boy who was arrested for threatening a mass shooting at a middle school. Chitwood defended his decision to showcase the boy’s full name, mug shot, and video of him being escorted to a jail cell on social media, stating that he will not tolerate threats that disrupt schools and consume law enforcement resources. The boy had allegedly displayed weapons in a video chat and had a written list of names and targets. Despite claiming the threat was a joke, the boy was charged with a felony and taken into custody. This incident is part of a larger trend of false school shooting threats following a deadly shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia. Chitwood has so far arrested seven people for written threats and confiscated weapons on school campuses. The sheriff’s decision to publicly shame minors for such threats has sparked both commendation and criticism, with some questioning the ethics of exposing children online.
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