A 15-year-old high school student was arrested by Volusia County Sheriff’s Office deputies after he made threats in a messaging application about becoming a mass shooter.
According to VCSO, a 15-year-old Jacob Long of Port Orange was arrested on Tuesday, November 8, after an anonymous tip was submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation regarding statements he made on Discord, a VoIP and instant messaging social platform.
“One day, my name and face will be all over the news and everyone will wish they took me seriously,” read one of the statements. In addition, the teen said he was “the next greenwood mall shooter,” that he was “100%” serious, and that he would “put these to good use,” referring to a photo of rifles and a shotgun.
Long also specified that he would kill Hispanic people, using a racial slur to describe them.
During an interview with detectives, Long indicated that he was joking in all of the posts, including one in which he stated that he was “100% real” and was “not or never have been joking.”
Long’s home was searched and no weapons were discovered during the investigation.
Long was charged with making written threats to kill. He was transported to the Department of Juvenile Justice, where he was being held as of Tuesday.