SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. (SNN) — Sarasota Middle School confirmed that one of their students allegedly threatened Lakeview Elementary School over the weekend.
On Aug. 17, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office conducted a threat assessment on a 12-year-old Sarasota Middle School student, who was suspended for repeated behavior problems, according to court records.
Deputies found multiple unsecured firearms inside the home of the 12-year-old.
“My daughter asked me if her friends get shot, does she take their blood and put it on herself and pretend that she’s dead?” said the parent of a 9-year-old Lakeview student.
After searching the student’s bedroom, two maps of Lakeview Elementary School were found, including where all of the security cameras are located. The words “destroy” and “eliminated” were written next to the names of two specific teachers, coloring their classrooms in red.
“This is the point where we always say we wish we had warning signs, we wish there were red flags, if somebody had said something. We have red flags, we have a literal red classroom that I am sending a 9-year-old into every day,” said the same parent whose child is in one of the targeted classrooms.
Court records state that prior to attending Sarasota Middle School, the 12-year-old went to Lakeview Elementary and confirmed that the maps belonged to him.
SCSO says no criminal charges were warranted, however, they petitioned the court for a Risk Protection Order (RPO).
“There is a Florida statute, 836.10, that makes it so that you can have this murder map, and as long as you don’t digitally share that with someone else, that’s legal. You have walked in on the last shooting before it has happened, and there is nothing illegal about it,” said the Lakeview parent.
She says Lakeview Elementary brought a worker from a door company in to make sure all of the locks worked.
“My child’s didn’t. So, the rooms on this murder map colored red had locks that didn’t work,” the parent said.
She also says the 12-year-old Sarasota Middle School student has a sister at Lakeview Elementary.
“The sister of the boy threatening a mass shooting against our children is in the classroom of the teachers that are colored red. He had plans to murder his sister as well,” she continued.
According to the Sarasota County School District, all county schools have a single point of entry, all doors are locked, and campuses are being monitored 24 hours a day through video surveillance.
There will be a public court hearing at 1 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 25, at 2002 Ringling Boulevard Courtroom 6B that will decide whether or not the 12-year-old’s RPO will become permanent or not.
