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

A fifth grade student in Florida was arrested over the weekend and charged with sending a textual content message threatening to hold out a mass taking pictures, authorities stated.

In a press release Saturday, the Lee County Sheriff’s Workplace stated it had learned earlier that day of a "threatening text message" despatched by a pupil at an elementary college.

It stated its local faculty menace enforcement crew was immediately notified and started investigating. The 10-year-old boy was interviewed and charged later with "making a written risk to conduct a mass shooting," the sheriff's workplace mentioned.

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

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

“Right now isn't the time to act like a bit delinquent. It’s not funny,” he said. “This child made a pretend menace, and now he’s experiencing real penalties.”

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

The comment got here as authorities in Uvalde face mounting criticism over their response to the Might 24 faculty taking pictures after it got here to mild that they waited roughly an hour for backup as an alternative of instantly transferring in on the gunman.

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