Police in Florida have issued a stark warning that they will not hesitate to kill when it comes to school shootings.
Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno spelled out his department's response to an active shooter just days after his officers arrested a 10-year-old boy for allegedly threatening to commit a gun attack at his school.
"You don’t get to come into one of my schools in my county and present deadly force," Marceno told W Radio, as per news.com.au.
"Because we meet deadly force with deadly force, without one second, without hesitation.
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"If you think you’re going to come and kill a child, a teacher or a faculty member, think again - we will kill you immediately."
Marceno went on to address the arrest of the fifth-grade student from Patriot Elementary School in Cape Coral after he was accused of sending threatening texts.
"While I understand the boy is 10 years old, his brain’s not fully developed, he’s a juvenile, I have to tell you: When a 10-year-old presses a trigger, the aftermath is the same regardless of the age," the Sheriff said.
At the time of the boy's arrest, Marceno said in a statement: "This student’s behaviour is sickening, especially after the recent tragedy in Uvalde, Texas.
"Making sure our children are safe is paramount. We will have law and order in our schools! My team didn’t hesitate one second…NOT ONE SECOND, to investigate this threat."
The boy was arrested and a mugshot was taken, with police aiming to show him the very real consequences of making threats, even if they are fake.
The Lee County Police Department was largely praised on social media for their quick response to the threat, regardless of whether it was fake or not.
The boy's father broke down in an interview with The New York Post following his son's arrest.
Authorities also confirmed to the Post that there were guns found in the family home.
"At this point, I don’t feel comfortable saying anything because I don’t want to make a mistake," he told the Post through sobs.
The Florida fifth-grader's arrest came only a few days after 19 children and two teachers were tragically killed by a lone gunman at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
The Robb Elementary School shooting is also the deadliest since the 2012 Sandy Hook tragedy, where 20 children were gunned down, along with six adults.
There have now been more mass shootings in the US in 2022 than days elapsed this year.
Rachel Lang