ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — Two St. Johns County teens are charged with numerous felonies after allegedly creating homemade bombs and guns and planning to use the weapons to commit a robbery.
The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office was first alerted to the case after an anonymous tip of a planned robbery was submitted through the Fortify Florida app.
Once investigators searched the teens’ homes, the case quickly escalated.
“Three privately made firearms and ammunition. Makeshift handcuffs. Handwritten notes depicting the construction of firearms and chemical reactions and diagrams, manifesto-style books, a tactical vest with White Supremacy drawings on it,” said St. Johns County Sheriff Rob Hardwick.
14-year-old Julian Davis was arrested in April, days after the tip came through, and faces several felony charges related to the creation of those homemade weapons.
13-year-old Charles Williams was arrested in June and is charged with conspiracy to commit armed robbery.
Davis and Williams were both students at Swiss Point Middle School at the time of their arrests.
The investigation report, which is more than 100 pages long, details the teens’ disturbing infatuation with explosives, violence and white supremacist ideology spanning at least two years.
Davis’ search history also showed a particular interest in mass murders.
“It starts in the home with parents paying attention. And we talk about these things right here all the time. For us too as well. It opens our children to the world and opens the world to our children too as well,” said Hardwick.
According to the report, the weapons and chemicals found by investigators in Davis’ home were not exactly hidden.
Sergeant Gene Tolbert says Davis’ mother even admitted to being aware of the homemade shotguns found in their home, referring to them as “pop guns”.
“Certainly, seemed like she was maybe asleep at the wheel,” said Tolbert.
When asked if the teens’ parents could also be charged, Tolbert said nothing is off the table, but he noted Williams’ family was more cooperative.
“And candidly, she said that Charlie needs to be held responsible for his actions,” said Tolbert.
Sheriff Hardwick indicated neither teen was on law enforcement’s radar, and if not for the anonymous tip, something much worse than a robbery may have happened.
“I want everybody to know in St. Johns County we’re not going to tolerate this type of thing,” said Hardwick.
Davis is currently being held here in the St. Johns County jail.
He’s being charged as an adult and his bond is set at $240,000.
Williams is being charged as a minor and was released from custody pending the outcome of his case.
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