COLUMBIA COUNTY, Fla. — A 12-year-old Minnie J. Niblack Elementary School student was arrested in connection with multiple electronic threats about a mass shooting at the school, says the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.
According to deputies, the investigation began on September 9, after a juvenile in Hernando, Mississippi, reported receiving threatening messages in a chat group from another juvenile saying he was going to “shoot up his school”.
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After working closely with the Hernando Police Department and coordinating with school resource information and the local family whose child was mentioned in the threats, detectives identified the phone number associated with the threats.
Due to the age of the suspect, Action News Jax will not release his name or booking photo.
On September 11, CCSO School Resource Deputies went to the 12-year-old’s residence in Lake City. With the consent of the suspect’s mother, his phone was searched. During a Mirandized interview, the suspect confirmed ownership of the phone number in question and confessed to sending threatening messages about a planned school shooting on Sept. 9 and Sept. 11.
CCSO says the 12-year-old also acknowledged sending photos showing guns and “his walk to school” to reinforce the threats. Investigators stated the firearms shown in the photos belonged to an out-of-state family member.
The suspect was arrested, transported, and booked into the Columbia County Detention facility until his pickup by the Department of Juvenile Justice. Investigators determined that the threats were verbal and that the suspect did not have access to firearms or intent to execute a school shooting.
The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office released a statement to parents regarding this case:
“This case is a powerful reminder of how important it is to stay engaged in your child’s digital life. Threats like these often surface first in text messages, social media posts, or shared images long before they reach law enforcement. We encourage parents and guardians to regularly check in on what their children are posting, sending, and receiving online, to keep an open dialogue about what they encounter on social media, and to report any concerning behavior immediately.
“Early awareness and communication can make all the difference in preventing tragedy.”
If anyone has any information regarding this crime, please contact CCSO at (386) 719-2005. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can call Crime Stoppers of Columbia County at (386) 754-7099 or www.columbiacrimestoppers.net.
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