Student, 14, threatened to bring machete to school and kill 2, cops say

Using a social media app, a 14-year-old boy threatened to bring a machete to school, but he told investigators it was all a joke.

The boy, a freshman at Zephyrhills High School, sent messages to a friend over Snapchat saying he was “going to bring a machete” to school and kill two people Monday morning, according to a Pasco County Sheriff’s Office complaint affidavit.

Screen shots of the conversation were taken and were shown to law enforcement officials.

He sent a Snapchat picture of a large knife to his friend as well, according to the sheriff’s office. The knife in the photo was later found by officials in the student’s bedroom.

When investigators spoke with the teenager, he said he did not want to hurt anyone and “sent the messages as a joke,” according to the affidavit.

The boy was arrested, charged with written threats to kill or do bodily harm, according to the affidavit, and taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center.

In a tweet, the sheriff’s office urged parents to have discussions with their children about how seriously law enforcement takes these threats.

This story was originally published October 2, 2017 at 7:42 AM with the headline "Student, 14, threatened to bring machete to school and kill 2, cops say."