3 FL Teens Created 'Hit List' Targeting Other Students, Police Say

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, FL — Three Florida teens are facing multiple charges after authorities said they created a "hit list" and "lethal hit list" targeting numerous students at Creekside High School in St. Johns County.

Two 14-year-old boys and a third 15-year-old boy were charged with threatening to kill or do bodily harm and unlawful use of a communication device after deputies discovered group text messages between the teens identifying other students and threatening to harm or kill them, the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office said in a release.

Patch is not identifying the teens because they were not charged as adults.

According to authorities, the sheriff's office opened an investigation into the teens after the agency was notified of suspicious communications between the group.

Authorities said deputies discovered group text messages identifying students the group planned to target. Police said the messages included photographs with faces circled, aerial pictures of Creekside High School with an on-campus location circled, and a discussion about the use of firearms.

According to authorities, the teens created two lists — a "hit list" for select students the group wanted to physically harm and a "lethal hit list" for students the group wanted to kill.

According to arrest documents obtained by First Coast News, the teens also formed a "Russian Communist group" called "The United Boyopolis Socialist Republic" due to being bullied by other students. The report said the boys created a logo and an application to recruit members into the group.

In one text between the teens, police said one of the boys stated, "I'm nothing without a weapon. Guns are preferred," First Coast News reported. In another text, police said one of the boys stated, "I am bringing my AK-47 tomorrow" while another responded, "Me too."

"Nothing is more important to me than the safety of our children and this is another example of the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office commitment to protect the more than 50,000 students who attend classes on a daily basis," Sheriff Rob Hardwick said in a statement. "I am proud of the youth services deputies assigned to this investigation, who acted quickly on the information that was provided and prevented a potential tragedy."

According to police, the three teens were arrested and taken to St. Johns County Jail.

St. Johns County Sheriff's Lieutenant Joseph Lukaszewski told First Coast News the teens will remain in jail for 21 days or "until further order of the court."