A schoolboy sparked an FBI investigation after posting footage of himself online sporting what appeared to be a large shotgun and causing panicked students to be sent home early.
The video was reportedly filmed by the student who attends the Wesleyan Academy in Guaynabo, in the US territory of Puerto Rico, and as a result the FBI launched an investigation.
Video Credit: CEN
The footage shows the unnamed boy from the eighth grade, thought to be 13 or 14, holding what appears to be a large shotgun but it turned out to be a pellet gun.
At one point the teen points at the screen and says “I’m going to kill every…” before appearing to stop himself and saying “nothing”.
The local Puerto Rico office of the FBI (Negociado Federal de Investigaciones) confirmed an incident had taken place involving a teenage boy.
FBI spokesman Douglas Leff said that further investigations are ongoing on but he added that the FBI would not be bringing charges against the boy, who has in the meantime been suspended from school.
He added that the punishment the schoolboy faces would be up to local authorities to decide, adding: “It is not going to be a federal case. We are not going to charge.
“At that age, teens are immature. We hope it was only a joke.”
The school also confirmed the incident which had been deemed a security threat, resulting in the application of protocols to safeguard staff and children. This included evacuating everybody from the building.
They added that they had also requested that authorities investigate, and that this was in hand with police dealing with the school’s security services.
Classes have since resumed. It is unclear if he has been arrested.
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Story By: Ana Lacasa, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
