CLEARWATER, Florida — Clearwater police say a 14-year-old was arrested Thursday afternoon after threatening to "blow up a classroom."
Several students told school officials that the eighth-grader made the threat Wednesday during an enrichment class at Oak Grove Middle School, according to police.
When another student asked if he cared about his friends getting killed, the 14-year-old reportedly said he loved his friends, but they would have to die with everyone else.
Police say the middle school student later admitted to making the statement but said he was only joking.
He was charged with threatening to discharge a destructive device and taken to Pinellas County Juvenile Assessment Center.
"Clearwater Police want to remind students that school threats are no joke. Making a threat - even if supposedly in jest - can lead to criminal charges," the department wrote in a release.
No device was found on campus during the investigation.