A 12-year-old from Palatka Junior-Senior High School is now facing serious legal consequences after a disturbing incident involving threats at the school.
PALATKA, Putnam County — The young student has been charged with a second-degree felony after authorities discovered a notebook filled with threatening messages in a girls’ bathroom at the school.
The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office reports that the notebook, ominously titled “Deth Note,” listed several names, each accompanied by the chilling words, “I’m going to kill her.” The notebook also contained an identifier linking it to the student, who later confessed to owning it during questioning.
In response, school administrators swiftly reached out to the parents of the students mentioned in the notebook. The student was taken into custody by deputies and is now facing charges related to making written threats to kill, leading to her transfer to a juvenile detention center.
Authorities noted that the notebook’s title seems to draw inspiration from the Japanese anime and manga series “Death Note,” where a character’s written entries in a book result in the deaths of those named.
Ken Jefferson, a Crime and Safety Expert for First Coast News, commented on the situation, pointing out that the stringent response underscores the heightened awareness and changes in protocol following the Parkland school shooting.
“It is a felony to make a threat to do harm to a school or a person in school,” Jefferson said. “In the past, it might’ve been just a suspension or expulsion. But now, you’re looking at jail time — this is a serious offense.”
Jefferson said lawmakers have strengthened these laws in recent years to deter threats and prevent violence before it happens.
“All these things have prompted our lawmakers to put some teeth into the law to try and prevent this from happening,” he said.
He also cautioned that not every child who makes a threat intends harm, some may be struggling mentally or emotionally.
“You never want to discount a child who may be psychologically distressed,” Jefferson said. “They’ll show signs that they’re crying out for help, but they don’t always know how to verbalize it.”
The Putnam County School District said it follows Florida’s zero-tolerance policy for any act that poses a threat to school safety.
This is the third case this month in Putnam County where a child 12 or younger has faced felony charges for threatening other students. Deputies said the latest case remains under investigation.
