A Key West teen was arrested after sending an email threat about ‘bullets,’ police said
A 14-year-old Key West student was arrested this week after police said he told another student that “three bullets will be looking for your brain” if he doesn’t stay away from a girl they both like.
In an email sent Wednesday night, the teen wrote he is the girl’s “boyfriend and this is your last and only warning,” according to an arrest affidavit written by Key West Police Officer Cynthia Williams.
The teen threatened more than just one student, police said.
“Stay away before [Horace O’Bryant School] goes on lockdown...and three bullets will be looking for your brain [expletive],” the email stated.
Horace O’Bryant School is a Key West pre-K-8 school with more than 1,000 students.
Williams wrote, “The victim, the victim’s parents and school staff involved in this case had a well-founded fear for the safety of both the victim and the student body of the HOB school.”
The teen also wrote, “stay away from [the girl] before I chase you next,” police said.
The email was sent from the 14-year-old’s Monroe County School District email address to the other student’s school email address at 11:24 p.m. on Wednesday, police said.
The 14-year-old was arrested on a felony charge of written threats to kill or do bodily injury.
He had a detention hearing Friday afternoon, said Monroe County State Attorney Dennis Ward.
“He will be in secure detention until March 16,” Ward said. “At this time I don’t think we’re going to charge him as an adult. It will be just a juvenile case.”
Ward said the teen was placed in detention at 2:15 a.m. Friday.
It was unclear Friday whether the 14-year-old had legal representation.
The father of the boy who received the email reported the threat to Williams the morning after his son received the email.
The boy told police he doesn’t personally know the 14-year-old but that they both like the same girl.
“He and the girl have been flirting back and forth recently,” police wrote in the affidavit.
The two students do not attend the same school, police said.
Police said they found no gun in the 14-year-old’s possession and his guardian said there were no guns in the home.
The 14-year-old told police he sent the email to scare the boy but he didn’t intend to hurt him.
“[He] stated he was not going to hurt anyone nor was he going to commit a school shooting,” the warrant states.
