A 14-year-old Matanzas High School student has been arrested after authorities say he sent videos of himself holding a firearm and threatened to shoot two classmates during an online argument on Snapchat the night before a physical altercation at school.
On the afternoon of February 23, school resource deputies at Matanzas High School were notified by the dean of an altercation that occurred between three boys during a lunch period, resulting in the students having to be separated. While reviewing written statements from two of the boys after the incident, the dean noticed both mentioned that the third student involved, Lincoln Cottle, had threatened them with a firearm during an argument on Snapchat the night before. The dean also told deputies that when he spoke to Cottle about the threats, the student told him the firearm was real and belonged to his father, describing it as a range gun.
Deputies spoke to both victims, who each confirmed that Cottle had sent them a video over Snapchat showing himself holding a firearm. One of the boys told deputies that Cottle said he would put a bullet through his stomach. The other reported that Cottle told him he would put a bullet in his head. According to the report, the threats were made after Cottle called a girl a derogatory name, which upset the two victims. A third student who witnessed the lunchtime altercation also told deputies he heard Cottle say during the confrontation that he would shoot the boys in the stomach after school.
Deputies arrested Cottle, 14, of Flagler Beach, on a charge of written or electronic threats to kill or do bodily injury. He was transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility for processing, then taken to the Volusia Family Resource Center and turned over to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice.
“The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office investigates any threat to kill, and we take every threat seriously,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “Regardless of age, threatening to kill someone is a felony and is not something that we tolerate. We don’t like arresting your child, so I urge parents to be the Sheriff in your home and not only teach your children these threats can have serious consequences but also know how they are communicating and what they are saying online. Teach them the proper way to handle disagreements. By teaching them how to properly solve disagreements, you will give them needed life skills for their entire life.”
Flagler Schools Superintendent LaShakia Moore also responded to the incident. “Student safety is a priority that doesn’t end at the classroom door. Through our close partnership with FCSO, we investigate every report with urgency,” Moore said. “We ask parents to help us reinforce a critical message: threats are never a joke or a game; they carry life-altering consequences. If your student has a concern on campus, please have them reach out immediately to their teacher, an administrator, a school resource deputy, or use the FortifyFL app. Our priority is ensuring every student is safe and supported on every Flagler Schools campus.”
Students and parents are encouraged to report any threat immediately by calling 386-313-4911, notifying a school resource deputy or school faculty member, or submitting a tip through FortifyFL at getfortifyfl.com.
