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Teenage runaway charged with making threatening phone call to James A. Long Elementary School in Putnam County

Deputies said a threatening phone call was made to the school shortly before classes were let out for the day.

PALATKA, Fla. — A teenage runaway was arrested Thursday after Putnam County deputies said he called James A. Long Elementary School in Palatka, stating there would be a shooting at the school and prompting a modified lockdown. 

Deputies said the 13-year-old male suspect, who First Coast News is choosing not to name, is a runaway juvenile from Volusia County and was wanted on possession of marijuana charges.

The incident started at 2:24 p.m. when deputies received a call from staff at the elementary school about an unidentified caller who said there would be a shooting at the school.

Deputies arrived at the scene and the school was placed on a modified lockdown.

As a precaution, Jenkins Middle School nearby was also placed on lockdown. During the lockdown procedure, deputies said the suspect was located inside the middle school and was determined to not be a student. Witnesses said they saw the suspect make the threatening phone call from the middle school.

Deputies charged the boy with a second-degree felony of a false report concerning the use of a firearm in a violent manner. Deputies said the teen was not armed.

He was booked into the Putnam County Jail and was turned over to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice.

During the incident, additional police were called to monitor the school. Daycare buses were released and children were released to their parents in an orderly fashion, deputies said.

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