Kanapaha Middle School student arrested after mass shooting threats

May 12, 2025 4:23 pm
Alachua County Sheriff's Office patrol vehicle.
Courtesy of ACSO

A 14-year-old Kanapaha Middle School student in Gainesville was arrested Monday after posting two separate threats on social media to shoot and kill students last week.

According to an Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) release, deputies arrested a 14-year-old suspect at Kanapaha Middle School on Monday and charged the student with two felony counts of Written/Electronic Threat of a Mass Shooting/Terrorism Act.

The incidents stem from two threats posted last week on social media that stated the suspect would shoot and kill students at Kanapaha Middle School on Friday, May 9.

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On Wednesday, May 7, and Thursday, May 8, two separate threats to shoot and kill students at Kanapaha were posted on social media. Both threats were from the same account with statements that included, “Kanapaha hall kids……I will be there on Friday…..y’all kids gon be dead and shot,” and “Tomorrow I will be there…Have my guns ready…”

By using the IP address and other techniques, ACSO deputies and detectives were able to confirm the suspect, a student at Kanapaha Middle School.

The incident comes after a 13-year-old Kanapaha Middle School student who threatened to bring a gun to school and kill another student was arrested by ACSO deputies on April 24.

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  • C.J. Gish

    C.J. Gish is the senior editor for Mainstreet Daily News. He is a Pacific Northwest transplant who grew up in Oregon and moved to Florida in 2018. C.J. has spent more than 30 years in media, public relations and marketing, including stints as a newspaper reporter, working at two TV stations (FOX and ABC) in Boise, and as a media specialist for Eastern Oregon University. C.J. enjoys sports, especially the NFL and NBA, and is the father to three amazing adult children. Send story ideas to editor@mainstreetdailynews.com

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Bill Whitten

It’s never been unusual for an emotional, hormonal 14 year old’s undeveloped brain to go into fever dreams. However, social media allows those to be widely broadcast without the filter of adolescent shyness. Most importantly, does anyone really believe that he wouldn’t be able to easily obtain whatever weapons his fantasy calls for?

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pat

Will you be doing a follow up story to let people (especially young people) know what happens to this young person?

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