TAMPA, Fla. — A Hillsborough County middle school student was arrested for a second time on Thursday after he made comments on social media threatening to bring a gun to Dowdell Middle School.
Deputies say that the 13-year-old male student that was previously arrested in April for possessing a loaded firearm on school property. Investigators say the young man was upset because he had previously been expelled from the school for bringing a gun to school. He was on juvenile probation for that matter when he was arrested Thursday.
Related: Middle school student arrested for bringingloadedfirearm onto school campus in Hillsborough County
The male student was charged with written threats to kill, do bodily injury or conduct a mass shooting or act of terrorism, a felony, after he made the comments during a social media chat with another individual. In the 2018 Florida legislative session, the law was amended to include all posts on social media. "Any person who makes, posts, or transmits a threat in a writing or other record, including an electronic record, to conduct a mass shooting or an act of terrorism, in any manner that would allow another person to view the threat, commits a felony of the second degree," the amended Statute reads.
"I am disappointed to be having this type of situation occurring so early in the school year but I cannot be any more clear, we will not tolerate any threats against a school. Period.," said Sheriff Chad Chronister. "Our children are our most precious resource and keeping them safe will remain my highest priority."
"Neither the school nor any children were ever in danger," HCSO said in a press release. "No weapon was located."
The student was arrested without incident and transported to the Juvenile Assessment Center in Tampa.
