MARION COUNTY, FL – On Thursday, November 3, 2022, Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) deputies arrested a 16-year-old for making a electronic threat to conduct a mass shooting. According to authorities, at approximately 7:00 p.m., multiple citizens saw a video on Snapchat and reported it to the Sheriff’s Office. The video shows a male teen standing in a room and stating, “I’m not going to lie, I’m tired of being stereotyped as a school shooter… I mean, if that’s what everybody wants…”
As shown in the video provided by authorities, as the teen finishes speaking, he raises his hand to show a firearm. Some of the citizens who saw the video were able to identify him as a student a Belleview High School. Deputies immediately went to his residence where they made contact with his parents. The firearm in the video was determined to be an Airsoft gun.
When interviewed, the teen claimed he made the video as a skit and wasn’t serious. He was placed under arrest, transported to the Marion County Jail, and then to the Department of Juvenile Justice for further processing.
“Over 30 of my citizens called in after seeing this video that caused fear for the safety of children at Belleview High. We thank you, because when you saw something, you said something, and with your help we were able to quickly locate [‘removed] and take him into custody. To my young citizens, you need to know that the law is clear: If you make a social media post that people reasonably interpret as a threat to commit a mass shooting, or to kill or harm another person, you have broken the law. And if you break the law like this, you should expect to be arrested.”
– Sheriff Billy Woods
The full name of the teenage male was included in the report, as well as posted on the Marion County Sheriff’s Office social media pages however, it was redacted from this report by The Published Reporter editors due to his age.
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