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

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

In a statement Saturday, the Lee County Sheriff’s Workplace mentioned it had learned earlier that day of a "threatening text message" sent by a student at an elementary school.

It said its native school threat enforcement staff 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 shooting," the sheriff's workplace mentioned.

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

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

“Proper now just isn't the time to behave like slightly delinquent. It’s not funny,” he mentioned. “This youngster made a fake menace, and now he’s experiencing real consequences.”

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

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

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