Sheriff releases mugshot of child accused of making false threat

A sheriff in Florida was frustrated by a series of false threats of school shootings and has now released a mug shot of an 11-year-old child and two other young people who are accused of threatening attacks.

Sheriff Mike Chitwood of Volusia County, Florida, posted the photo of the 11-year-old boy on social media after his arrest.

“Every time we arrest someone,” he said at a news conference last week, “your child's photo is released … so everyone can see what your child is up to.”

His efforts to denounce the perpetrators have sparked heated debate, with some accusing the sheriff of being a “vigilante” while others defended the move as a crime deterrent.

Sheriff Chitwood said his department arrested the 11-year-old after he threatened to carry out a school shooting and made a list of names of people he wanted to attack. The child, whom BBC News is not naming because of his age, reportedly said it was a joke.

He was accused of making a written threat of a mass shooting, Sheriff Chitwood wrote in his post, noting that police had seized a number of weapons, including airsoft rifles, pistols and fake ammunition.

Under Florida law, juvenile criminal records may only be released if the individuals involved are charged with a crime, whereas many other states and countries grant juveniles anonymity.

On Wednesday, two more young people, ages 16 and 17, were arrested and charged with a crime on suspicion of threatening a school shooting in a Snapchat message.

They also claimed it was a joke, the sheriff said.

He released a video showing the couple getting out of a police car in handcuffs and then being taken to a prison.

Since the sheriff posted the pictures and videos of the alleged suspects on social media, his decision has been discussed online.

Some social media users said the move would deter potential offenders. “I'm glad you're taking these kids into custody and showing them this isn't funny, they need to be disciplined,” one Facebook user wrote under one of the sheriff's posts.

Others expressed concern about the potential impact on children and young people.

Daniel Mears, a criminology professor at Florida State University who researches school shootings, told the Associated Press that juvenile criminal records “should be confidential for a reason.”

“The idea was to give the children a second chance in life,” said Professor Mears, but noted that threats were treated differently in schools.

Sheriff Chitwood, meanwhile, said he was not sure public exposure would work, but “something has to be done.”

“Kids need to realize that what they post and send on social media is not private,” he wrote on social media. “It will be reported to us.”