Flagler Palm Coast student arrested after pointing fake gun at students, report said
A 15-year-old student at Flagler Palm Coast High School was arrested for pointing a realistic-looking gun at two students and threatening to “shoot” them, according to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office.
The 15-year-old was arrested Wednesday and charged with felony aggravated assault and improper exhibition of a firearm. He was transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility and later taken to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice.
Two students said they were walking into the gym when the 15-year-old male student, whom they did not know, pointed a "colorful gun" at them, the sheriff's office stated. They said the male pulled the trigger several times and said he would shoot them.
The students, at least one fearing for their life, ran into a nearby bathroom to hide. But the 15-year-old waited until they came back out and continued threatening them.
The two students then realized the gun had an orange tip, and 15-year-old put it into his backpack. Orange tips are used to indicate that a gun is not a real firearm.
One of the students reported what happened to the dean's office and the school resource deputy spoke to them. The deputy then found the 15-year-old, who took the fake gun out of his backpack.
The gun was a "gel blaster gun" that looked like a Glock pistol with graffiti on it.
“Never, ever threaten someone’s life, even with a fake gun,” stated Sheriff Rick Staly in a press release. “A prank like this will only get you arrested. This type of behavior will not be tolerated in our schools. Fortunately, this was a fake gun, and the student immediately reported the incident and did exactly what they should have when threatened. Parents, talk to your children and be the sheriff in your home. Otherwise, we will be, and your kid will be arrested!”
Flagler Schools Superintendent LaShakia Moore also praised the student for quickly reporting the incident.
“We applaud the student who immediately reported this incident to a staff member," Moore stated in the release. "She saw something and then said something. Although it appears this was a toy gun, we must take every incident in which a weapon is reported to be on any of our campuses seriously. We thank the quick actions of our campus staff as well as the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office in response to the alleged threat.”
The Student Code of Conduct prohibits having any toy weapon on campus. Brandishing it like an actual weapon is a Level 4 violation, one of the most severe violations, and is reported to the Florida Department of Education, the release stated.
It is also against the law.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Sheriff: FPC student arrested after pointing fake gun at students
