DELTONA, Fla. – A 13-year-old boy is accused of making threats against Heritage Middle School on Instagram, according to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office.
- 13-year-old accused of making threats against school
- Threats were posted on an Instagram account
- Teen told deputies it was a joke
The threats to "shoot up" the school were made on an account with the name "shooting_up_heritage_middle," investigators said. The account's bio also said, "I am shooting up heritage middle school Thursday, January 23."
The Sheriff's Office began receiving tips about the threats Friday evening. Working with Domestic Security Unit and the Volusia County Crime Center, investigators were able to trace the account to a Deltona address. There, they found a 13-year-old boy who they say created the account.
According to investigators, the boy said the threats were a joke.
The boy was arrested and charged with making written threats to kill or cause a mass shooting.
He was taken to the Department of Juvenile Justice.