- July 9, 2026
According to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office, deputies arrested a 13-year-old after he threatened to kill another teen and sent him photos of a firearm over Instagram.
FCSO deputies began investigating the incident on July 7 after the victim's mother called 911 to report the threat.
The victim, also 13, received several Instagram messages earlier in the day from the suspect, including a photo of the suspect holding a handgun and a written message that read, "Tn 8:00 pm we be there we alr got lo," which investigators said translates to, "Tonight 8:00 pm we be there we already got location."
The victim told deputies he believed the suspect planned to show up at his home and shoot him at 8 p.m. that night.
The suspect later told deputies that he and the victim used to be friends but had a falling out. He also said he had messaged the victim that day and that they were planning to fight.
"Threats are no joke, and we take every threat seriously. This teen had already made plans to fight the victim, and he made it clear it wasn't going to be a fistfight," said Sheriff Rick Staly. "I want to remind parents to stay engaged in what their kids are doing online and who they're talking to. Teach them the proper way of handling disagreements and be the Sheriff of your home."
Deputies arrested the suspect and transported him to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility before he was transferred to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice.
