JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 13-year-old boy was arrested for assault after he brought a BB gun to a bus stop and threatened an 11-year-old student, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
Due to their ages, News4Jax is not identifying those involved.
The 11-year-old boy, who attends Landmark Middle School, told police the teen brought the BB gun to the bus stop near Wedgefield and Lauderdale boulevards in response to a fight that happened a day earlier, the incident report stated. The boy said he got into a fight with the teenager's friend on Monday.
According to the report, the friend told police he called the teen and asked him to "watch his back" at the bus stop on Tuesday because he was afraid of getting into another altercation.
The Sheriff's Office said on Tuesday, the friend saw the teen was carrying the BB gun in his waistband, but immediately questioned the teen's decision, telling the teen he didn't intend for him to bring the weapon.
When they arrived at the bus stop, the report stated, the 11-year-old told investigators the teenager pulled the BB gun from his waistband, pointed it at him and threatened to shoot both him and his mother in the face. The 11-year-old boarded the bus and later reported the incident to school officials.
When officers arrived at the school, they found the BB gun in the teenager's backpack and took him into custody, the Sheriff's Office said. He was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill.
News4Jax spoke to the mother of the teenager and the boy who was threatened. Both asked not to be identified.
The 11-year-old's mother said she didn't hear about what happened until her son told her after school.
The teen's mother said she has no idea where her son got the weapon.
"I don't know where the BB gun came from. We don't own BB guns," she said. "I'm assuming he got it from another friend."
The teenager's mom wanted the boy's mother to know how sorry she was for what happened.
"I just hope that they can accept an apology on my behalf from me. It’s very disappointing as far as the whole family is concerned," she said. "I didn't raise my son to behave like this."
The boy's mother said she accepts the apology, but she won't be lettering her son walk to the bus stop alone any time soon.
"I chaperoned him to the bus stop," the 11-year-old's mom said. "(I) got off work early to make sure I was there."