Florida man arrested for threatening to 'shoot 6 students' at his former middle school on August 17
BOCA RATON, FLORIDA: A Florida man was taken into custody and charged for threatening to shoot students at his former middle school on an online platform.
Fernando Rodrigo Gaete reportedly wrote his alleged intention on social media platform Discord on Wednesday, August 16. However, before he could carry out his alleged threat, police arrested him early Thursday morning, August 17.
What did the Florida man say in the social media post?
AoI.com citing the 22-year-old Florida man’s arrest report stated that he wrote, “I Dominic Valentine vow to shoot up Loggers' Run middle school on Monday morning gonna shoot 6 students.”
But it is not clear yet why Gaete did not use his name and wrote “Dominic Valentine” for the online fatal warning. The police report, however, added that the Florida man posted the threat for his former school students because he was “very angry”.
What charges does the Florida man face?
As per reports, Gaete has been pressed with one count of writing threats to conduct a mass shooting or terrorism act and a second-degree felony.
After being detained, the Florida man was put behind bars at the Palm Beach County Detention Center. However, later he got freed on Sunday, August 13, after posting the bail amount of $100,000.
Besides, a risk protection order was also submitted by the police against the Florida man.
The 2023 Florida Statutes state that “a petition must allege that the respondent poses a significant danger of causing personal injury to himself or herself or others by having a firearm or any ammunition in his or her custody or control or by purchasing, possessing, or receiving a firearm or any ammunition.”
Parents are worried for their children after Florida man’s alleged threat
A parent named Justin Cleare told WPBF 25 News, “It’s upsetting because it seems like a regular occurrence now ... that one of these threats is found. “It really bothers me that somebody was threatening the safety of my child because they were angry.”
Another parent Kaysie Schmitt added, “I send my kids here, they’re here more than they are at home practically. So, I want them to be as safe as possible.”
Loggers' Run Middle School issued statement after shooting threat
A statement was released by the principal of the Loggers' Run Middle School, who said, “As your principal and a parent of LRMS students myself, I understand how important it is to communicate with you openly and assure you our campus is safe.”
“It’s also important that students understand the need to report any suspicious activity to a trusted adult or through one of our reporting apps - SaferWatch and FlorifyFlorida,” the statement noted.
It asserted, “Please know I am here. Please know we are keeping your kids safe. Thank you for your continued support of Loggers' Run Middle School.”
