A 14-year-old P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School student was arrested Sunday after he sent a text message threatening to commit a shooting at the school.
According to a University of Florida Police Department (UFPD) release, officers arrested the teen on Sunday and charged one count of written threats to conduct a mass shooting, which is a felony charge in Florida.
The text was sent at 11 p.m. on Saturday and UFPD found out about the incident overnight.
“This is one of those matters where we must act swiftly, given the rise of these threats and acts nationwide,” said Bart Knowles, interim UFPD chief, in the press release. “I’m grateful for the expeditious work of our officers to ensure that our campuses remain safe at all times.”
UFPD is withholding the name of the suspect because of his age, and he is being charged as a minor. He was taken to the Alachua Regional Juvenile Detention Center on Sunday.
“Keeping our school community safe is our utmost priority at P.K. Yonge,” said Brian K. Marchman, director and superintendent of P.K. Yonge, in the press release. “We take any threat to safety seriously and are fully cooperating with law enforcement in this investigation.”