Police in Florida has arrested a 10-year-old boy for allegedly threatening a mass shooting at his elementary school.
Daniel Issac Marquez, a student at Patriot Elementary School in Cape Coral, sent a message to his friend saying he bought four assault rifles and said ”Get ready for water day,” according to his arrest report.
His threat was taken seriously after the nation’s deadliest school shooting in a decade as federal officials announced they would review local law enforcement’s slow response to the attack.
Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said Marquez’s case is being handled by the Youth Services Criminal Investigations Division.
“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,” Marceno told reporters.
“This student’s behaviour is sickening, especially after the recent tragedy in Uvalde, Texas. Making sure our children are safe is paramount,” he added.
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Anger has mounted over the decision by law enforcement agencies in Uvalde to allow the shooter to remain in a classroom for nearly an hour while officers waited in the hallway and children inside the room made panicked 911 calls for help.
Police say the gunman, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, entered the school on Tuesday with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle after earlier shooting his grandmother, who survived.
He shot dead 21 people including 19 students and two teachers, with President Joe Biden vowing to push for stricter US gun regulation.
(With inputs from agencies)
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