Countryside High Student Accused Of Making School Threats

CLEARWATER, FL — A 14-year-old Countryside High School student has been arrested after posting a photo of firearms on Instagram with a warning to students not to come to school.

At around 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office received an anonymous complaint that the teen had posted a photo of four guns on his Instagram page with the warning, "Don't come to school tomorrow. THIS IS A JOKE. DO NOT REPORT (It's not a joke)."

Deputies went to the teen's home on Bayshore Court in Safety Harbor where the teen admitted to posting the photo on his Instagram account, "monkeywitharifle," but told deputies it was intended as a joke. He said he created the post to "get some laughs" from his followers. He said he didn't believe anyone would take the post seriously.

Deputies confirmed that the teen did not own any weapons nor have access to any weapons. He was arrested shortly before 8 p.m. Sunday and charged him with written threats to kill, do bodily injury or conduct a mass shooting or an act of terrorism.