A 14-year-old boy was arrested in Florida after investigators say he discussed plans to carry out a mass shooting at a local church and had ties to a violent extremist group online.
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the teen was active in extremist chatrooms and linked to a neo-Nazi Satanic group known as the “Temple of Love,” which authorities say promotes violence.
Officials stressed that the suspect is a minor and said no immediate threat to the public remains.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister announced the arrest after investigators received a tip late last month indicating the teen had access to weapons and was making threats of mass violence in online discussions. During a Jan. 31 search of the teen’s home, deputies recovered multiple firearms and ammunition, including a gun from his father’s nightstand that the teen could have accessed, officials said.
As part of the investigation, deputies also seized electronic devices containing graphic child sexual abuse material, leading to additional charges tied to child pornography.
The teen — whose identity has not been publicly released because he is a minor — faces multiple charges, including written or electronic threat to conduct a mass shooting or act of terrorism, in-state transmission of child pornography, multiple counts of solicitation or possession of child pornography, and unlawful use of a two-way communications device.
Sheriff Chronister said the case highlights the danger of violent extremist content online and the real-world threat it can pose, stressing that the suspect’s age does not lessen the seriousness of the alleged crimes. The sheriff’s office said patrols have been increased around two local churches near the teen’s residence as a precaution while the investigation continues.
The Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office will decide whether to pursue adult criminal charges as the case moves forward.
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The guns care nothing for the age of the Democrat Terrorist wielding the weapon.