Florida fifth grader arrested, charged with threatening a mass capturing, police say

A fifth grade student in Florida was arrested over the weekend and charged with sending a text message threatening to carry out a mass shooting, authorities said.

In a statement Saturday, the Lee County Sheriff’s Workplace said it had realized earlier that day of a "threatening text message" despatched by a pupil at an elementary faculty.

It said its native college menace enforcement group was immediately notified and started investigating. The 10-year-old boy was interviewed and charged later with "making a written menace to conduct a mass taking pictures," the sheriff's office mentioned.

In video shared by authorities, the boy might be seen being led right into a police car.

“This scholar’s habits is sickening, particularly after the latest tragedy in Uvalde, Texas,” Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno mentioned in a statement, noting that the threat got here just days after the lethal school taking pictures at Robb Elementary College left 19 college students and two teachers lifeless.

“Right now isn't the time to act like a little delinquent. It’s not humorous,” he said. “This little one made a pretend threat, and now he’s experiencing real consequences.”

Marceno mentioned his group “didn’t hesitate one second...NOT ONE SECOND,” to research the incident.

The remark got here as authorities in Uvalde face mounting criticism over their response to the May 24 college capturing after it got here to mild that they waited roughly an hour for backup as an alternative of instantly transferring in on the gunman.

Chantal Da Silva is a breaking information editor for NBC News Digital primarily based in London.