An 11-year-old boy in Virginia made the swatting calls that disrupted Flagler County Schools toward the end of the last school year, according to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office.
The boy, from Henrico, Virginia, admitted to making the threatening calls in Flagler County as well as making a threatening a call to the Maryland State House.
He made 21 calls about a shooting or bomb threat to Buddy Taylor Middle School and four other schools in Flagler County — First Baptist Christian Academy, Flagler Palm Coast High School, Old Kings Elementary School and Suncoast Community School — between May 14 and 22.
In each call, the child claimed a bomb or bombs had been placed in the school or he threatened to commit a mass shooting or said he had just shot a teacher, a student or multiple people, the release stated.
The child also had videos of animals being killed and said he was being paid in cryptocurrency to make swatting calls, Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said during a press conference Thursday afternoon at the Sheriff's Office Operations Center in Bunnell.
Staly said that the child did not express remorse but was more proud of what he had done.
What is 'swatting'?Calls threatening shootings, bombs disrupted Flagler schools this week
He was arrested on 14 felony counts each of false report concerning the planting of a bomb, unlawful use of a two-way communication device and disrupting a school function. He was also charged with one felony count of tampering with physical evidence.
He was being held in a juvenile detention facility in Virginia while local authorities work to transfer him to Florida under the Interstate Juvenile Compact.
State Attorney R.J. Larizza said his office was evaluating the case and had not yet decided whether he would be charged as a juvenile or as an adult.
The News-Journal is not naming the boy since he hasn't yet been charged as an adult.
What is swatting?
Staly said in a previous press conference that the schools were targets of “swatting” in which someone makes a false report of violence in progressor an incident about to occur intended to initiate a large and immediate deployment of law enforcement, including SWAT teams, to a specific location.
Swatting calls have been happening across the country targeting schools, college campus and politicians.
Flagler County Sheriff's Office plays swatting call
The sheriff’s office played an audio recording of one of the swatting calls in which the male caller said “I just shot my teacher In the head.”
The dispatcher asked what school he was at and he responds slowly Flagler Palm Coast High School.
“Yeah, I think my teacher is dead,” he said.
He claims to have a “flare stick” and an “assault rifle 15.”
“It’s in my hand,” he said. “And If you don’t come quickly we will all die.”
Staly said all the calls were similar with some variations and were made to communications center in Flagler and Volusia counties and in Lincoln, Nebraska. The swatting calls resulted in a “massive response” each time by the sheriff’s office, fire departments and Bunnell Police for the schools in that city, Staly said.
“Every case instilled fear in our students, teachers, parents with many keeping their children at home until the end of the school year,” Staly said.
Staly said social media posts by students and parents and media reports of the swatting calls “gave him the fame he was seeking.”
Staly said the 11-year-old told detectives that he chose Flagler as a target because he claimed he had a friend in a chatroom who attended Buddy Taylor Middle School. Staly said investigators believe they have evidence that will lead them to the friend and are looking at what was said in the chatroom; however, it does not currently appear as thought the friend will be charged.
The 11-year-old said that once he started getting the media attention, or “trophies” as he called it, he Googled and started calling other schools, but focused mostly on Buddy Taylor.
10- week investigation into swatting calls leads to arrest
The FCSO's 10-week investigation led them to the 11-year-old who made the calls from his home.
"What we learned was frankly shocking and alarming," Staly said.
His mother said the boy was constantly online during the COVID-19 pandemic and his “dark behavior” grew more concerning to the family but they apparently didn’t do anything about it, according to Staly.
His brother said the 11-year-old was “weird,” had a “dark side” and looked at disturbing material online including videos of animal cruelty.
Staly: 'An example of domestic terrorism'
He also admitted to sextortion, forcing kids to pay him not to release nude pictures that he had manipulated them into sending him, according to Staly.
“He also told us that every news report was like adding a trophy to his online persona,” Staly said.
“This is an example of domestic terrorism and the fact that this suspect responsible is only 11 years old is truly sad,” Staly said. "It is also evident that this was not a kid's prank but were deliberate acts. It’s also evident that without intervention by our agency he was escalating and intrigued by more dangerous, violent and escalating behavior.”
Staly said he believed that without the courts and juvenile system intervening, and without serious sanctions and psychological help, the boy will commit more serious and violent crimes in the future, possibly hurting or killing someone.
“Don’t let his age fool you; he is a smart and dangerous kid,” Staly said.
He said it was extremely important for parents to know what their children are doing online.
Larizza said he believed a hearing would take place Friday regarding the minor’s extradition. He said once the 11-year-old is in Florida, prosecutors will seek to have the juvenile held in secure detention.
“It’s time that people understand just how dangerous the internet can be,” Larizza said.
Larizza said he “hopes and prays” there are ways to reach him with help.
But he added that “accountability is going to rule the day.”
Flagler County Schools Superintendent LaShakia Moore thanked the sheriff’s office for keeping students and staff safe.
“Thank you for not just brushing this under the rug but taking it serious every single time those calls came in,” she said.
School Board Chairman Will Furry also thanked the sheriff’s office.
"Please monitor what your children are doing online," Furry said. "When you see signs of this type of behavior say something; get them the mental health that they need or bring it to the attention of authorities. Because it can save their life and it could save other lives.”
Example of the need for new social media law
Staly said the 11-year-old was “a prime example” of why a law requiring parental approval for social media use for children under 16 passed in Florida.
The new law has a social-media portion that bars children 13 and younger from social media accounts, while allowing 14- and 15-year-olds to access social media sites like Instagram and Snapchat with parental consent. Those 16 and older have full access, according to a previous News-Journal story.
The same law requires age verification to limit internet access to p*rnography to adults 18 and older. Users will have to sign into an age-verification system that protects privacy and anonymity.
House Speaker Rep. Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, thanked Staly for his agency's work and agreed the case showed the need for the new law.
“This crime, if it were committed by a middle age man, would be chilling,” Renner said. “The fact that it happened, it was committed by an 11-year-old boy, is really hard to comprehend and understand and believe, but it's true. … This individual should never ever have been online to begin with.”
