Florida fifth grader arrested, charged with threatening a mass taking pictures, police say

A fifth grade pupil in Florida was arrested over the weekend and charged with sending a text message threatening to carry out a mass shooting, authorities said.

In a press release Saturday, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office mentioned it had realized earlier that day of a "threatening textual content message" despatched by a scholar at an elementary school.

It mentioned its native school menace enforcement group was instantly notified and began investigating. The 10-year-old boy was interviewed and charged later with "making a written menace to conduct a mass taking pictures," the sheriff's office stated.

In video shared by authorities, the boy will be seen being led into a police car.

“This student’s habits is sickening, particularly after the current tragedy in Uvalde, Texas,” Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said in an announcement, noting that the threat got here simply days after the lethal school taking pictures at Robb Elementary Faculty left 19 students and two lecturers useless.

“Proper now just isn't the time to behave like a little delinquent. It’s not funny,” he said. “This youngster made a faux menace, and now he’s experiencing actual penalties.”

Marceno mentioned his workforce “didn’t hesitate one second...NOT ONE SECOND,” to research the incident.

The comment came as authorities in Uvalde face mounting criticism over their response to the May 24 college taking pictures after it came to light that they waited roughly an hour for backup as an alternative of immediately transferring in on the gunman.

Chantal Da Silva is a breaking news editor for NBC Information Digital based mostly in London.