Local authorities in Florida have charged an 11-year-old boy from Virginia with over 20 swatting calls in the Sunshine State, mainly targeting schools, as reported by the police. What’s puzzling is that the reasons behind the boy’s choice of victims in Florida and his potential ties to the state remain unknown.
According to a press release from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, the swatting calls began on May 14th, when the child targeted Buddy Taylor Middle School in Palm Coast, Florida. Over the next week, the child reportedly made more than 20 calls to Florida schools with children of all ages, including First Baptist Christian Academy, Flagler Palm Coast High School, Old Kings Elementary School, and Suncoast Community School.
Swatting is a dangerous practice where an individual calls emergency services and falsely reports a violent or life-threatening situation at someone else’s location. The goal is to provoke a large and overwhelming police response to the victim’s address. Such calls may involve making false claims, such as having killed family members or threatening to cause harm to others. The caller may also provide the location of the intended target. This practice is extremely harmful and can result in serious consequences for all parties involved.
Local authorities have reported that this child made serious threats, such as placing bombs in different locations, planning mass shootings, and even claiming that a teacher or student had been shot.
According to reports, the swatting calls were made by an 11-year-old who was eventually identified by the Homeland Security Section of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office. During the investigation, the child was interviewed and confessed to making the calls, stating that he had learned how to conceal his identity online. Although it is unclear how law enforcement was able to locate him, a voice pattern analysis was conducted to compare the caller’s voice to that of the child’s. In addition to the Florida schools, the child also admitted to making a threat to Maryland’s State House.
Authorities in Virginia have arrested a juvenile who has been charged with 14 felony counts of falsely reporting the planting of a bomb, 14 felony counts of unlawfully using a two-way communication device, one felony count of tampering with physical evidence, and 14 misdemeanor counts of disrupting a school function. The accused is currently being held in a juvenile detention facility in Virginia and is expected to be transferred to the southern region of the country.
Sheriff Rick Staly released a statement online, addressing the concerns of the community regarding the investigation of the recent school terrorization. He emphasized that the detectives assigned to the case did not stop working until they found the person responsible for causing distress to the students, parents, teachers, and the community. According to the Sheriff, the behavior of the individual in question was escalating and becoming more dangerous, which added to the urgency of the investigation. With school starting in less than a month, the Sheriff acknowledged that the community was anxious to know the status of the investigation.
Although the 11-year-old’s name has been disclosed, Gizmodo has decided not to reveal it. The act of making swatting calls was not only foolish but also highly perilous. It is our hope that this youngster comes to realize the gravity of his actions. Despite the serious charges, this incident should not permanently derail his life. Let us hope that he is given the opportunity to bounce back from this and make better choices moving forward.
