Boy, 13, arrested for threat at Azalea Middle School, police say

ST. PETERSBURG — A 13-year-old boy was arrested Friday by police and accused of threatening to “shoot up” Azalea Middle School. But St. Petersburg police did not say if the student actually had the means to carry out such a threat.

The student is an eighth grader at the school, police said. He told other students that he was going to dress up as a “school shooter” and “shoot up the school,” police said. Another person posted his comments on social media.

The school resource officers then looked into the matter and arrested the 13-year-old on a felony charge of making a false report of a firearm to conduct bodily harm.

Police did not say whether the student was actually planning such an act, or if he had access to firearms.