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VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. - A student at Deltona Middle School was arrested on Thursday after they spread a false rumor about a school shooting, deputies say.
Editor's note: FOX 35 News has chosen not to name or show photos of the students who have been arrested, as they are minors.
Student spreads school shooting rumor
What we know:
The Volusia Sheriff's Office (VSO) arrested a student on Thursday at Deltona Middle School.
Deputies say the student spread a false rumor about a school shooting. He allegedly told several others that another student who was recently arrested had been released from custody, got a gun, wrote a kill list and was preparing to carry it out.
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Officials said the rumor caused an influx of FortifyFL tips, Gaggle alerts, and other contacts from worried parents and students who believed an act of violence was happening.
During the investigation, the student who started the rumor allegedly initially provided the same story to the school resource deputy, before admitting he spread the rumor to appear cool.
The student has been charged with knowingly giving false information to law enforcement, which is a first-degree misdemeanor.
What we don't know:
Deputies have not released the age of the student at the school.
Student arrested after writing ‘kill list’ on desk
The backstory:
On Tuesday, VSO arrested an 11-year-old who allegedly wrote a "kill list" on his desk at Southwestern Middle School.
The student told deputies he was angry and having a bad day.
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The student was charged with a felony for threatening his fellow students.
"If you’re tired of hearing this, imagine how the 99% of students, parents, teachers and school staff are feeling," the sheriff's office said.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Volusia Sheriff's Office (VSO) on Sept. 19, 2025.