PORT ORANGE, Fla. — Several students were arrested across Central Florida school districts Monday, accused of making threats to conduct shootings.

What You Need To Know

  • An 11-year-old Port Orange boy was arrested early Monday on a charge of making a written threat of a mass shooting

  • According to investigators, the boy showed some of his classmates his collection of realistic looking airsoft rifles and allegedly talked about a "hit list" he made

  • The boy told deputies that what he said was a joke and that he didn't plan to harm anyone, a Volusia County arrest affidavit said

  • Other arrests unfolded in Brevard and Flagler counties Monday, both involving 13-year-old students

In Volusia County, an 11-year-old boy was arrested and charged with threatening to open fire at a school following a Facetime call with his classmates.

Investigators were alerted to the potential threat on Sunday after receiving an anonymous tip that a group of students at Creekside Middle School “were going to shoot up the school,” according to an arrest affidavit.

The affidavit also revealed one of the witnesses told deputies that he had been part of a Facetime conversation with the 11-year-old and another student when the boy “showed the rest of the group a bunch of guns and knives.”

“He added that (the 11-year-old) had written down a list of names on a notepad and specifically told them that it was a list of people he wanted to kill,” the affidavit said.

Several other students told the same story about the list of names, the affidavit said.

When they responded to the boy’s home, investigators said they found what appeared to be the list mentioned by the other students, various airsoft-style rifles and pistols, and several knives and swords.

The 11-year-old admitted to showing his friends his collection of airsoft rifles and some of his knives, but he couldn’t remember if he told them that “the airsoft rifles were not real, functioning firearms,” the affidavit said.

Initially, investigators said the boy denied creating a list with other students’ names on it, but later admitted that there was a “hit list” that he wrote names on, but said it was a joke and “he had no intention of causing any of the listed individuals harm.”

While the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office released the 11-year-old’s name and photo, Spectrum News is not publically identifying him due to his age and because he is not being charged as an adult.

The boy’s arrest early Monday follows two other arrests involving Heritage Middle School students who were accused of making threats of a school shooting on social media.

Other arrests unfolded in Brevard and Flagler counties Monday, both involving 13-year-old students.

Neither are being charged as an adult and will not be publically identified by Spectrum News.

In Cocoa Beach, a boy was pulled from class and arrested at Cocoa Beach Jr. Sr. High School.

According to a press release the police department, the student was confronted after a school resource officer became aware of an electronic threat to conduct a school shooting.

No other details were initially given.

In Flagler County, a girl was a arrested for making a threat toward Buddy Taylor Middle School.

According to the sheriff’s office, she made a social media post Sunday, reading “12:05 be ready to die if you go to BTMS” with a knife and gun emojis.

When questioned by deputies, the girl said she did not think the post was serious and did not intend to shoot anyone at the school.

Deputies say the girl removed the post after being confronted and was subsequently arrested.