The Boynton Beach Police Department issued a statement after arresting a 14-year old boy for a threatening social media post.
Police say the teen posted a message on the Publix corporate Instagram page that he was "going to commit a mass shooting" at the Boynton Beach Publix, though he misspelled the name of the supermarket and didn't specify which one he would target. There are several in the city.
Police say a Publix employee saw the post and alerted them.
Detectives traced the Instagram account to the teen, who told them he was joking.
He was charged with written threats to kill, do bodily injury or conduct a mass shooting or an act of terrorism.
The statement from police states that they will arrest any individual responsible for making claims of harm against the community. It also urges parents to have conversations with their children about the "severity of this."
Statement from BBPD:
The Boynton Beach Police Department will vigorously investigate any claim of harm against our community, and arrest any individual responsible. We urge parents to have conversations with their children about the severity of this.
As always, if you see something, say something. Together, we will keep our community safe.
Image: Boynton Beach Police Dept.