Associated Incidents
VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. --- Volusia County deputies have arrested four children, ages 11 to 15, accused of making school threats in a matter of days. We are not naming any of them because of their ages.
On Sept. 12, deputies arrested two teens.
Deputies said a 15-year-old wrote a threat on his school laptop to bring a gun to Deltona High School and shoot another student. The threat triggered a Gaggle alert, which notified the school resource deputy, who responded and detained the teen before he got on the bus to go home.
The teen admitted he typed the threat, didn't mean it, and was just angry about being picked on.
That same day, deputies arrested a 13-year-old who they said drew an AR-15 style rifle on his desk at River Springs Middle School with the words "F*** my school" and a date and time. Deputies also stated the teen said he was bullied at school, but didn't report the incident and was handling it on his own.
Both students were arrested on second-degree felony charges and transported to the Volusia Family Resource Center for processing.
Then on Monday, Sept. 15, deputies arrested a 13-year-old who they said recorded video of himself loading and handling a gun, then sent it to other students at Deltona Middle School, along with rap lyrics about taking a life.
The following day, deputies took an 11-year-old boy into custody and charged him with a felony for threatening his fellow students. Deputies said he wrote a "kill list" on his desk at Southwestern Middle School because he was angry and having a bad day.
Licensed counselor Cherlette McCullough says it's devastating to see kids in handcuffs. She, like law enforcement officers in Central Florida, emphasized the importance of families checking in with their children daily to prevent such incidents before they escalate to felony charges.
"It's extremely scary for parents, for our community and for these children who are going through these things," McCullough said.
"Check in with your kids. Not just saying how is your day going. But what feelings did you feel today? You know, checking their phones. I think it is the responsibility of parents to really go into their children's phones and really check around what they're looking at? What are their interests?"
McCullough said she wants kids to learn it's OK to reach out.
"Go to that adult and tell them exactly what you're feeling. And if you don't have the words, send a text. If you have a phone, send a text or write a letter," she says.
She also wants families to pay attention to any changes in behavior. If a child starts to lose interest in certain things or begins to pull away, she suggests consider reaching out for professional help.
The Mental Health Association of Central Florida offers free counseling for uninsured children, teens and families.
Click here to learn about the Outlook Clinic.