An 11-year-old Florida boy, Carlo “Kingston” Dorelli, found himself in handcuffs and behind bars after allegedly boasting about his extensive weapon collection and a “kill list” targeting two schools, according to Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood, via The New York Post.
Sheriff Chitwood detailed the disturbing incident in a Facebook post, revealing that Dorelli had shown a video of his armory, including airsoft guns, knives, and swords, to classmates, while also threatening violence. “He had written a list of names and targets. He says it was all a joke,” Chitwood wrote, making it clear that law enforcement wasn’t taking any chances, according to the New York Times.
In response to what Dorelli claimed was a prank, he was slapped with a felony charge for a written threat of a mass shooting. The sheriff’s office published a video showing the young boy being led into the jailhouse, his wrists and ankles shackled, followed by the release of his mugshot and a dramatic display of his confiscated arsenal. The photo showcased replica assault rifles, samurai swords, and throwing stars laid out on a table, similar to a drug-bust exhibit.
This arrest came on the heels of Sheriff Chitwood’s recent vow to publicly “perp-walk” any child making prank threats, amid a surge of fake tips in the wake of the deadly shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia, where four people lost their lives. “Every time we make an arrest, your kid’s photo is going to be put out there… We’re gonna come and get you. We’re going to put you out for public embarrassment,” Chitwood declared in a press conference last week.
The sheriff’s hardline approach follows a troubling spike in phony threats, with Florida authorities receiving 54 fake school shooting tips in one night alone. Chitwood made it clear he’s had enough, directing a stern message to any would-be pranksters: “For the little bastards out there who think this is funny, ha ha ha, you want to get on social media: You ain’t that smart… You’re getting caught.”
Florida isn’t the only state dealing with a flood of school shooting threats. Just last Friday, police in Foley, Alabama, arrested two teens for making a “terrorist threat” on social media. That same day, two separate arrests were made in Indianapolis involving a 12-year-old and a 15-year-old threatening violence against their schools.
In Texas, authorities have already arrested at least 10 juveniles this school year for making threats of violence against schools, with two 12-year-olds being detained last week alone.
With tensions high and law enforcement on alert, prank threats are being treated with serious consequences as officials crack down on the alarming trend.