Florida fifth grader arrested, charged with threatening a mass capturing, police say

A fifth grade student in Florida was arrested over the weekend and charged with sending a textual content message threatening to hold out a mass capturing, authorities mentioned.

In a statement Saturday, the Lee County Sheriff’s Workplace mentioned it had learned earlier that day of a "threatening text message" sent by a pupil at an elementary college.

It said its local school threat enforcement workforce was immediately notified and started investigating. The 10-year-old boy was interviewed and charged later with "making a written menace to conduct a mass shooting," the sheriff's workplace said.

In video shared by authorities, the boy could be seen being led into a police vehicle.

“This pupil’s behavior is sickening, particularly after the latest tragedy in Uvalde, Texas,” Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno stated in an announcement, noting that the risk got here just days after the deadly faculty taking pictures at Robb Elementary Faculty left 19 students and two teachers useless.

“Right now is not the time to act like somewhat delinquent. It’s not funny,” he mentioned. “This little one made a fake menace, and now he’s experiencing actual penalties.”

Marceno mentioned his group “didn’t hesitate one second...NOT ONE SECOND,” to research the incident.

The comment came as authorities in Uvalde face mounting criticism over their response to the May 24 college shooting after it got here to gentle that they waited roughly an hour for backup as a substitute of immediately shifting in on the gunman.

Chantal Da Silva is a breaking information editor for NBC News Digital primarily based in London.