FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – A 15-year-old Flagler Palm Coast High School student was arrested Wednesday and accused of pointing a “real-looking” firearm at two students and threatening to shoot them, according to Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
According to FCSO, a school resource officer responded to the incident after one of the students reported it to the Dean’s Office. The students told the officer the teen pointed what appeared to be a “colorful gun” as they were walking into the gym, and he pulled the trigger several times and told them he would shoot them. FCSO said the students feared for their lives and ran into a nearby bathroom to hide. The students said they then realized the weapon had an orange tip, and the suspect put the fake gun into his backpack.
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After investigating, officials identified the suspect and discovered the weapon was a gel blaster gun that replicated a Glock firearm with graffiti drawings on it, according to FCSO.
“Never, ever threaten someone’s life, even with a fake gun,” Sheriff Rick Staly said in a statement. “A prank like this will only get you arrested.”
FCSO said having any toy weapon on campus is against the Student Code of Conduct, and brandishing it like a real weapon is one of the most severe violations and reported to the Florida Department of Education. This is also against Florida law.
“We applaud the student who immediately reported this incident to a staff member. She saw something and then said something,” Flagler Schools Superintendent LaShakia Moore said. “We thank the quick actions of our campus staff as well as the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office in response to the alleged threat.”