A 10-year-old boy in Florida was taken into police custody after allegedly threatening to kill classmates at Pride Elementary in Deltona, in an incident that has drawn widespread attention online.
Micah Swinnie was arrested on Wednesday and charged with a felony for making a written threat to kill. Authorities said he had left a note listing classmates he allegedly planned to harm and also wrote on a whiteboard about bringing a gun to school. The boy’s parents confirmed he has no access to firearms, but law enforcement said the arrest was necessary due to the severity of the threat.
A video released by the Volusia Sheriff’s Office shows Swinnie handcuffed and escorted into the station, where he was placed in a cell. The child told officers he “didn’t mean it” when questioned about the threat. Parents of students named in the note were notified, and the case remains under investigation.
The footage has sparked mixed reactions online, with some supporting the legal consequences for the boy, while others criticised the filming and public release of a 10-year-old’s arrest. Florida law allows children aged seven and older to be arrested and documented if charged with a felony, according to the Kaia Rolle Act and Florida Statute 985.04.
The incident has reignited discussions about accountability, juvenile justice, and the appropriate handling of serious threats made by children in schools.
