An 11-year-old boy from Florida was arrested and placed in county lockup after boasting about his impressive collection of weapons and plans for executing a “kill list” at two different schools, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. The boy, Carlo “Kingston” Dorelli, allegedly showed off his arsenal to his classmates and made threats of violence. In response, Sheriff Mike Chitwood charged Dorelli with a felony for making written threats of a mass shooting and released photos of the arrest on Facebook.
Dorelli had displayed an array of weapons including airsoft guns, knives, and swords in a video that he showed to his classmates, along with a list of names and targets. However, Dorelli claimed it was all a joke, according to Chitwood’s Facebook post. The sheriff did not find the humor in this situation, as it comes on the heels of a deadly shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia which left four people dead.
In an effort to deter others from making similar prank threats, Chitwood made a public promise to “perp-walk” kids who make fake threats and publicly embarrass them by publishing their photos. This display was part of the sheriff’s response to receiving 54 phony tips of impending school shootings in one night.
The issue extends beyond Florida, with law enforcement agencies across the United States dealing with an increase in threats against schools. In Foley, Alabama, two teens were arrested for “making a terrorist threat” on social media, while in Indianapolis, Indiana, a 12-year-old and a 15-year-old were both arrested for separate incidents involving threats to their school district.
Sheriff Chitwood is not taking these threats lightly, stating that youngsters making such threats online are “not that smart” and will ultimately be caught by law enforcement. As the issue of school safety continues to grow in importance, authorities are taking a tougher stance against those who make false threats, hoping to prevent future acts of violence and keep students safe.
