CCSO: Port Charlotte teen made threat to school on TikTok, faces charges

PORT CHARLOTTE — A student who made a threat on TikTok to “shoot up” a school is facing criminal charges, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office reported Friday.

The student, who is 14, was charged with making written or electronic threats to kill, do bodily injury, or conduct a mass shooting, according to CCSO.

The school he made the alleged threat against is not in Charlotte County, the agency reported. The report didn’t specify what school was threatened or the date it occurred.

It happened Friday when FBI agents notified the Sheriff’s Office about “a potential school threat made by a juvenile residing in Charlotte County.”

The student made a comment on another teenager’s TikTok video stating, “I’m going to shoot up your school tomorrow.”

FBI Taskforce members conducted an investigation of the user’s account and comment and shared the information with the CCSO detectives.

Detectives went to the boy’s home and “confirmed he was at home with family members.” They interviewed the parents and the juvenile. The juvenile admitted to the threat, the report states.

Deputies arrested the student and took him to the Charlotte County Jail.

“We take every threat seriously, and both law enforcement and school officials collaborate to address these matters swiftly and appropriately,” CCPS Superintendent Mark Vianello wrote in a statement.

“Ensuring the safety and security of our schools is our highest priority. I would like to thank the FBI Task Force and the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office for their prompt response in this situation,” he stated.

Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell said his officers don’t take anything for granted when they learn about a threat to schools.

“My team will respond without hesitation to investigate and take action as necessary,” Prummell stated. “In this case, this young man let his emotions get the better of him, and now he will have to face real consequences. Thank you to our partners at the FBI Task Force for helping bring this comment to our attention.”