It’s been almost a week since the May 24 deadly mass shooting at a Uvalde, Texas elementary school and police officers across the country are stepping up their efforts to prevent similar attacks from happening.
On Saturday (May 28), a male fifth grade student in Florida was arrested for threatening to stage a mass shooting. Authorities said the child sent a text message revealing his plans.
Law enforcement arrested the Cape Coral 10-year-old Patriot Elementary School student Saturday evening. The suspect was handcuffed and escorted to a police vehicle.
Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno released a statement about the situation saying, “This student’s behavior is sickening, especially after the recent tragedy in Uvalde, Texas.” He continued, “Making sure our children are safe is paramount.”
Because of the child’s young age, the Youth Services Criminal Investigations Division handled the case after the sheriff’s office’s School Threat Enforcement Team received information about the threat.
“We will have law and order in our schools! My team didn’t hesitate one second … NOT ONE SECOND, to investigate this threat,” the sheriff said, according to the New York Post.
Marceno’s comment about the swift action of his team could be seen by some as a direct response to Uvalde police officer’s handling of the Robb Elementary School shooting. Officials took nearly an hour to disarm the gunman after the 18-year-old suspect began his massacre. In the end, 21 people were killed, including 19 kids and two adults.
“Right now is not the time to act like a little delinquent. It’s not funny,” the sheriff said in a tweet from Saturday evening. “This child made a fake threat, and now he’s experiencing real consequences.”
Sources say the Patriot Elementary School student was interviewed by detectives and later charged with making a threat to conduct a mass shooting.