An 11-year-old boy from Florida was arrested and taken to a county jail after he allegedly boasted about his extensive collection of weapons and his intentions to carry out a “kill list” at two separate schools, according to a local sheriff. The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office confiscated a variety of airsoft guns, knives, and swords after the boy, identified as Carlo “Kingston” Dorelli, shared a video of his weapons with classmates and made threats of violence, Sheriff Mike Chitwood claimed in a social media post.
Chitwood stated that Dorelli had compiled a list of names and targets, but the boy insisted it was all in jest. In response to his “joke,” the sheriff charged Dorelli with a felony for a written threat of a mass shooting. A video was released showing officers escorting the handcuffed boy into the jail.
The sheriff’s office also released Dorelli’s mugshot, along with a photo of the seized weapons, including replica assault rifles, samurai swords, and throwing stars, arranged on a table as if following a drug raid. This dramatic display occurred shortly after Chitwood pledged to publicly shame children who make prank threats, following a surge of false tips in the aftermath of a fatal shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia, which resulted in four deaths.
Chitwood warned in a press conference last week that every arrest would be publicized, following a night when Florida authorities received 54 fake tips about potential school shootings. However, Florida is not the only state dealing with a flood of school shooting threats.
In Foley, Alabama, two teenagers were arrested for “making a terrorist threat” on social media, according to local police. This happened just days after a school in the town was put on lockdown due to a teacher overhearing a student discussing possession of a weapon. On the same day, a 12-year-old and a 15-year-old were arrested in Indianapolis for making threats against their school district, as reported by WFYI Indianapolis.
Last week in Texas, two 12-year-olds were arrested, marking at least 10 arrests this school year for threats of school violence, as reported by My San Antonio. Chitwood expressed his frustration with the situation, warning those who find humor in making such threats on social media that they will be caught.