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

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

In an announcement Saturday, the Lee County Sheriff’s Workplace mentioned it had discovered earlier that day of a "threatening text message" despatched by a student at an elementary faculty.

It mentioned its local faculty menace enforcement crew was immediately notified and started investigating. The ten-year-old boy was interviewed and charged later with "making a written risk to conduct a mass taking pictures," the sheriff's office said.

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

“This scholar’s behavior is sickening, especially after the latest tragedy in Uvalde, Texas,” Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno mentioned in an announcement, noting that the risk got here simply days after the lethal faculty taking pictures at Robb Elementary Faculty left 19 college students and two teachers lifeless.

“Right now is not the time to behave like a bit of delinquent. It’s not funny,” he said. “This baby made a faux threat, and now he’s experiencing real consequences.”

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

The remark got here as authorities in Uvalde face mounting criticism over their response to the Might 24 school taking pictures after it came to light that they waited roughly an hour for backup as an alternative of immediately shifting in on the gunman.

Chantal Da Silva is a breaking information editor for NBC News Digital based in London.