A guy threatens to shoot, kill a classmate through a text message

FORT PIERCE, FL. An 11-year-old accused of threatening to shoot a classmate in a group text chat has been charged.

Port St. Lucie police told WPTV that a boy allegedly sent a photo of his father’s hunting rifle to a 10-year-old girl.

Authorities said the boy sent the photo in a group chat with three other classmates.

“He was frustrated by it and at one point he started using profanity, racial language,” said Sgt. Dominic Mesiti.

Mesiti said one of the girls told the boy to stop.

That’s when, Mesiti said, the 11-year-old girl threatened to shoot her and sent a picture of the rifle.

“It’s very difficult for us to get away from what’s written there in black and white,” Mesiti said.

Authorities said that even at a young age, these threats are taken seriously.

“Even if they think they’re joking, or they’re kidding, or they don’t intend to follow through on that threat, those threats will have consequences,” Mesiti said.

Mesiti added that parents also have a duty to check what their children are doing on their phones.

“They need to look at their children’s phones frequently so they know what conversations they’re having, who they’re talking to, who they’re talking to, and how they’re talking to them,” Mesiti said.

An 11-year-old was arrested for second-degree felony uttering written or electronic threats to harm or kill.

After that, he was released and is currently under house arrest by court order.

According to the police, the text messages were sent after school.

WPTV spoke with an administrator at Synergy Magnet K-12, who said the 11-year-old student was expelled.