A Florida sheriff, frustrated by a surge in false school shooting threats, has adopted a bold new strategy to get through to students and their parents: posting the mugshots of offenders on social media.
In recent months, law enforcement in Florida and nationwide has been dealing with a wave of school shooting hoaxes, fueled in part by a deadly shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, where two students and two teachers were killed. These hoaxes are straining school operations and law enforcement resources.
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood, based on Florida’s Atlantic coast, expressed his frustration on Monday, warning parents that if their children are arrested for making threats, he will make sure the public knows.
“Since parents, you don’t want to raise your kids, I’m going to start raising them,” Chitwood stated. “Every time we make an arrest, your kid’s photo is going to be put out there. And if I can do it, I’m going to perp walk your kid so everyone can see what your kid’s up to.”
Chitwood made his stance clear in a video announcing the arrest of an 11-year-old boy accused of threatening to carry out a school shooting at either Creekside or Silver Sands Middle School in Volusia County. The sheriff posted the boy’s name and mugshot on Facebook.
The video, which had garnered over 270,000 views by Monday afternoon, shows a table filled with airsoft guns, pistols, fake ammunition, knives, and swords that officers claim the boy was showing off to other students. Later in the video, officers can be seen leading the handcuffed boy from a squad car into a secure facility. Dressed in a blue flannel shirt, black sweatpants, and slip-on sandals, the boy’s face is fully visible at several points in the video.
“Right this way, young man,” an officer tells the boy, whose hands are shackled behind his back. The video ends with the boy being placed in an empty cell, wrists, and ankles cuffed, as the officer locks the door.
“Do you have any questions?” the officer asks. “No sir,” the boy replies.
The video prompted a flurry of reactions on social media. Some praised Chitwood’s tough stance and called for the parents to be publicly identified or even face charges themselves. However, others questioned whether the 11-year-old should bear full responsibility, arguing that his age warrants a more nuanced approach and that the parents should be held accountable.
Florida law typically keeps juvenile court records private, but in cases like this, where the child is charged with a felony, such records can be made public.
School threats have become an increasing concern across Florida since the start of the 2024-2025 school year. In Broward County, where Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School is located, authorities have arrested nine students, aged 11 to 15, for making threats since August.
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“Parents, students, it’s not a game,” Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony emphasized during a press conference. “Nothing about this is a laughing or joking matter.”
