PALM COAST, Fla. – An 18-year-old Palm Coast man was arrested on Thursday and accused of sending threats to a high school student over text messages, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said on Aug. 12, a school resource deputy at Matanzas High School was approached by a student who reported that he had received threatening text messages from an 18-year-old man, who was later determined to be a former Matanzas student who graduated earlier this year.
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The sheriff’s office reviewed the text messages, which included a photo of two pistols, a rifle, and an AK-48. After that photo, the man wrote messages including "But if you want me to kill you, I can, I ain’t scared” and “I could shoot you with which one.”
On Thursday, detectives located the 18-year-old, who said he had sent the messages because he believed the victim was spreading rumors about him. He also told detectives that he did not own any firearms and had taken the photo from the internet.
“We take every threat seriously and do not tolerate any threat to kill,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “I commend the student for speaking up to their school resource deputy so that law enforcement could investigate the matter and arrest this man for making a stupid threat.”
The man was charged with written or electronic threats to kill.