Student, 14, arrested after allegedly making homemade guns and explosive for robbery plot
A 14-year-old Florida student has been arrested after allegedly making homemade guns and collecting materials for explosives as part of a planned robbery.
Julian Davis, who attended Switzerland Point Middle School, was arrested on 30 April and has been charged as an adult with several gun and explosive offences.
Davis and his 13-year-old friend were both charged with conspiracy to commit robbery with a gun. The younger boy was not charged as an adult and was released after spending 21 days in juvenile detention.
Police began investigating Davis and his 13-year-old friend after receiving a tip three days prior to his arrest.
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Authorities said the boys had been messaging each other on Telegram about robbing someone at gunpoint.
According to an arrest report, their messages also discussed making weapons, including a shotgun and musket, and getting zip ties.
"Also in the text conversation were several pictures and videos depicting ammunition, pipe components, zip ties, and a clear bottle containing an unknown yellow liquid wrapped in duct tape with an apparent fuse affixed to the side," the arrest report stated.
Police and federal agents searched Davis’ home several times and found three homemade guns, ammunition, suspected explosive materials and makeshift handcuffs.
Investigators also found handwritten notes about making weapons and a drawing that appeared to show a Molotov cocktail.
Other items included a tactical vest with white supremacist drawings and a copy of the manifesto written by Brenton Tarrant, the white supremacist who killed 51 people at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand in 2019.
Sheriff Robert Hardwick said at a news conference on Friday: “Davis was using his devices in his home to research things. He had a [fixation] with people that had committed these mass school shootings, people that have gone in and done these mass stabbings.
“So, he was actually spending a lot of his time on there going through these high-profile cases. And it’s something that he actually wanted to emulate.
“This is a much bigger picture than just a robbery of that individual.”
School officials, however, said there was never a direct threat against Switzerland Point Middle School.
His lawyer, Jill Barger, claims Davis had spent four months ‘in an empty pod’ and told Fox News Digital that the state was not providing him ‘the resources he needs’.
“Julian never even thought about harming anyone,” Barger said in a statement.
“The police were reckless and cruel to suggest they prevented a mass casualty event. There is no evidence of this. No writings by Julian, no threats, nothing.”
Davis has pleaded not guilty and remains in jail on $240,000 bond.
Anish Vij