Florida 10-Year-Old Accused Of Making Mass Shooting Threat At His Elementary School

The situation unfolded on Saturday after the Lee County Sheriff’s Office received a tip regarding a 10-year-old student who allegedly sent a threatening text message regarding a school shooting.

“The School Threat Enforcement Team was immediately notified and began analytical research. Due to the nature of the incident, the Youth Services Criminal Investigations Division assumed the case,” Lee County authorities wrote in a Facebook statement.

The suspect was soon interviewed and ultimately arrested. He was specifically charged with “making a written threat to conduct a mass shooting.”

“Right now is not the time to act like a little delinquent. It’s not funny. This child made a fake threat, and now he’s experiencing real consequences,” Sheriff Carmine Marceno noted.

“This student’s behavior is sickening, especially after the recent tragedy in Uvalde, Texas,” Marceno continued. “Making sure our children are safe is paramount. We will have law and order in our schools! My team didn’t hesitate one second… NOT ONE SECOND to investigate this threat.”

Shortly after the incident began making headlines, authorities released the 10-year-old’s mugshot and identified him as Daniel Isaac Marquez.

“While I understand the boy is 10 years old, his brain is not fully developed; he’s a juvenile; I have to tell you: When a 10-year-old presses a trigger, the aftermath is the same regardless of the age,” Marceno said during an interview with W Radio. “We have zero-tolerance. Our children are going to be safe no matter what.”

The boy’s father, Dereck Marque, gave an emotional statement to the New York Post in response to the situation.

At this point, I don’t feel comfortable saying anything because I don’t want to make a mistake,” Marquez tearfully said. “I would appreciate not talking right now.”

This situation coincides with a similar incident in New York, as a Long Island teen was recently arrested for allegedly threatening to shoot up Bellport High School, as Blavity previously reported.

Both these instances come less than a week after the tragic school shooting which occurred at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, where 21 people lost their lives at the hands of an 18-year-old gunman.