Florida police say they have identified an 11-year-old who had allegedly made nearly two dozen swatting calls and bomb threats that tossed schools into chaos.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said in a media briefing on Thursday that police were able to identify the person responsible for numerous calls of fake bomb threats and mass shooting reports through the help of the FBI.
‘It’s time that people understand just how dangerous the internet can be.’
After a 10-week investigation, police found their suspect turned out to be a juvenile boy who lived hundreds of miles away in Virginia.
“Every case instilled fear in our students, teachers, parents with many keeping their children at home until the end of the school year,” said Staly.
The suspect tried to hide his identity by disguising his voice on the calls.
“I shot down my teacher in the head,” said a caller to a 911 operator on one recording released by police.
When officers searched the boy’s residence and devices, they allegedly found even more disturbing evidence.
Staly said the videos included “torturing of pets, video decapitation, and murder pornography.”
Officials said that the boy received cryptocurrency in order to commit some of the threats, and his calls extended beyond Florida and included Alabama, Alaska, and the Maryland State House of Representatives.
The boy, who has not been identified publicly, was held at a juvenile facility in Virginia before he is extradited to Florida.
“It’s been said it’s sad, it’s disturbing about the age of this kid, this defendant, this individual,” said State Attorney R.J. Larizza. “But you know it’s enlightening. It’s time that people understand just how dangerous the internet can be.”
The child faces numerous charges, including 14 counts of unlawful use of a two-way communication device, 14 misdemeanor counts of disrupting a school function, felony counts of force report of a bomb, and one felony count of tampering with evidence.
Audio of the 911 call and footage from the media briefing were published at WOFL-TV’s news report on YouTube.
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