Florida teen arrested for school Twitter threats

Published: December 18, 2012 

Austin Lee Bowlin PHOTO PROVIDED BY MIAMI DADE POLICE

In the wake of last week’s deadly school shooting in Connecticut, Miami-Dade police have arrested a 16-year-old student at Miami Lakes Educational Center who threatened on Twitter to “shoot up this school this Friday.”

Austin Lee Bowlin was charged with making a threat to injure others after he sent a series of tweets, via cellphone, after his principal made a safety announcement on the school’s loudspeaker Monday morning.

On Friday, a 20-year-old named Adam Lanza shot and killed 20 students and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn, before killing himself. The carnage has caused national outrage and prompted school districts around the country to review safety plans.

Bowlin wrote he was going to “shoot up the school this Friday. Prepare yourself” and that he was “making a list and checking it twice. We’re about to see who gets shot up real nice,” according to an arrest report.

He also wrote: “Yeah a bunch of little kids died. I could care less. And my school announced it like matters. safe? I could shoot this school up easily.”

Miami-Dade police arrested Bowlin late Monday and he has already been released from juvenile detention. No weapons were found.

“This indivudal showed a pattern of behavior that would be worrisome to any parents, teacher or community member,” said Miami-Dade Lt. Rosanna Cordero-Stutz, a spokeswoman.

In the arrest report, officers note that Bowlin, on his Twitter account, features a photo of the infamous Columbine High shooting in Colorado.

Bowlin intended for his Twitter followers and school staff to see the messages, the report said.

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