On September 16, a 13-year-old girl was arrested for making a threat to commit a shooting at Buddy Taylor Middle School.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) was contacted by the school Monday morning about the possible threat. Deputies discovered 13-year-old Deondra Gaskins made a post on social media Sunday, September 15, that read, “12:05 be ready to die if you go to BTMS” with knife and gun emojis.
Gaskins told deputies she and a friend were talking about school shootings, and stated she did not think the post was that serious and had no intentions to shoot anyone at school. The friend also admitted to the conversation and told deputies they were joking around on the phone.
Gaskin’s mother was made aware of the post and knowing the seriousness of the matter and made her daughter delete the post. Monday, September 16, the mother brought Gaskins to school to report what her daughter posted the day before.
Gaskins was immediately arrested for Written/Electronic Threat Mass Shooting/Terrorism Act and transferred to the Department of Juvenile Justice.
“The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office takes all threats seriously, especially ones made towards a school or its student body, “said Sheriff Rick Staly. “We don’t like arresting young teens, but we will protect Flagler County students. Thank you to the parent who found this post on her daughter’s phone and reported it to the school so we could act swiftly and make a quick arrest to prevent an incident from happening at a Flagler County school. I also know this had to be a hard decision for a parent, but it was the right decision. Thank you to the mom for being the Sheriff of your home. More parents need to be parents and not just friends and teach their kids that actions have consequences.”
Statement from the Flagler County School District Superintendent LaShakia Moore:
“We are aware of this arrest of a student making threats to the safety of the school. We want to make it clear that such behavior is never a joke. Anyone who threatens the welfare of our children and our employees will be met with consequences. We work closely with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office to ensure a swift and appropriate response to any threat, and we encourage all students and families to understand the gravity of these actions. Our priority remains the safety of our students, faculty, and staff.”
