An 11-year-old girl in Florida was arrested after authorities say she wrote a message about a mass shooting on a bathroom wall at her school, according to local law enforcement.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said the arrest followed interviews with students and school officials.
An administrator at Indian Trails Middle School contacted law enforcement on Feb. 3 after being alerted to a concerning message written inside a restroom, the sheriff’s office said.
Deputies who responded reported that the writing was clearly visible upon entering the bathroom. The message read: “school shooting Feb 4th:).”
Officials moved quickly, the sheriff’s office said, and investigators identified and arrested the student accused of writing it. At the same time, law enforcement and school administrators assessed whether the message posed a credible threat.
According to the sheriff’s office, the girl told deputies she had been dared by someone she was communicating with online to write the message on the wall. She also allegedly said she did not expect any backlash, later explaining she wrote it because she was bored.
Flagler Schools Superintendent LaShakia Moore addressed the incident after the arrest.
“This behavior is never tolerated on any of our Flagler Schools campuses. Threatening the well-being of our students carries immediate consequences,” Moore said.
Moore said it is important “to always take these matters seriously,” adding that student safety remains the “top priority” for her and other educators.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly echoed that message, saying: “School safety is our top priority, and we take every threat seriously.”
He added that the incident was “a great example of why we have School Resource Deputies on every Flagler Schools campus,” saying their presence allows authorities “to take immediate action to quickly respond to any threat or incident.”
The student has been charged with making a written threat to commit a mass shooting or terrorism act. Authorities said she was taken to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility after being arrested, then transferred to the Department of Juvenile Justice.
Because the suspect is a minor, the case is under seal. As a result, it is unclear whether she remains in custody, has legal representation, or has made an initial court appearance.
