ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A 13-year-old was arrested Monday for sending shooting threats to several teachers at Tyrone Middle School in St. Petersburg, authorities said.
The teen logged into another student's online school account to send the messages, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. The message reportedly said, "I will shoot the school up. I got 5 glocks and ak-47."
Deputies arrested the 13-year-old soon after, who admitted to sending the messages but claimed he did so as a joke, according to the sheriff's office. He has been charged with one count of written threats to kill or conduct a mass shooting and one count of aggravated stalking of a minor child.
"The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office remains committed to keeping our schools,
our children, and our community safe," the agency said in the release.
This recent threat comes just days after a weekend of deadly, violent shootings in the Tampa Bay area. One in Sarasota on Saturday killed high school football standout Tommie L. Battie IV and left his brother, Auburn running-back Brian Battie, hospitalized with a ventilator.
Another shooting in Tampa saw a man die after he was shot at his apartment complex Sunday morning, May 19.
Law enforcement added that anyone with information on shooting threats should call the sheriff's office at 727-582-6200.
