SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A 14-year-old student was arrested and accused of threatening to commit a school shooting, according to the Venice Police Department.
Authorities said the teen attends the Student Leadership Academy in Venice. He was arrested off campus on Thursday.
Investigators learned the teen was upset with another student and warned of his “desire” to commit a shooting. Investigators added the teen warned the other student not to come to school the following day.
When confronted, authorities said the teen claimed he was just joking.
“We learned this student has a history of making similar threatening statements that were previously investigated by school administration,” the department said.
“We take threats such as these very seriously,” police added. “We encourage parents to talk to their children about the seriousness of the words they use.”
Anyone with any information regarding the investigation is asked to call VPD at 941-486-2444 regarding case #23-0478.