Crystal River Primary School student arrested for bringing machete to school

Citrus County, Florida - According to Citrus County Schools, on Friday morning, February 12, it was brought to the attention of administrators of Crystal River Primary School that a student was in possession of a weapon. Administrators and the School Resource Officer, who is a deputy with the Citrus County Sheriff's Office, located and spoke with the 10 year-old female student and learned that she did have in her possession a machete that she'd brought to a before school YMCA class. The child was placed under arrest by the Citrus County Sheriff's Office (CCSO), charged wth exhibiting a weapon on school grounds, a third-degree felony.

The school board stressed, in a letter, that there is no indication that any student was threatened, and the incident did not negatively impact the start of school that day. The leter also urged parents to discuss with their children the importance of school safety, and the consequences of having prohibited items at school.

"This is a very unfortunate situation," said Superintendent Sam Himmnel. "However, school safety is our priority, and we will follow the decision of the Citrus County Sheriff's Office."

When questioned as to why the CCSO arrested a child when the school board felt there was no danger to students, CCSO Digital Media Specialist Jessie Santero issued this response, "The arrest of the female juvenile offender on this particular incident was made after many other options were considered and weighed. It is not only a Sheriff’s Office decision but a corroborated effort amongst multiple entities. The decision matrix has to take into account many factors, one of which is a zero-tolerance policy set forth in FS 1006. Once the knife, which actually is a 10” bladed machete, was secured, yes, there was no threat to other students. The events which had already taken place prior to the juvenile being contacted and the weapon being secured outweighed a lessor avenue. Assuring the safety of all students is always a priority. Adhering to policies, statutes, and guiding principles can result in unfortunate situations such as the arrest of this 5th grader. Intentionally deciding to bring a weapon (machete) to school knowing it is wrong, and having said weapon land on the ground for others to see and hold, does bring with it a degree of fear and potential harm."