By-Line: Joseph Bober, Public Information Office, FCSO
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a 15-year-old high school student after an investigation revealed that he brought a gun to school and later pointed it at another student in an off-campus incident.
On September 5, a student at Flagler Palm Coast High School reported to school resource deputies that they were the victim of an aggravated assault with a firearm the day before. According to the victim, another student, Sean Goska Jr., pointed a gun at him in the bathroom of the McDonald’s in Palm Coast Town Center. The incident occurred when the victim and Goska were hanging out with a group of students after school.
The victim further stated they believed Goska had brought the firearm to school and owned it throughout the prior school day. For school safety purposes, deputies immediately removed Goska from class and, after searching his person and backpack, confirmed that he was not currently in possession of any weapons.
When questioned during the incident, Goska initially confirmed that he was at the restaurant but denied having possession of or brandishing a firearm. However, during the investigation, deputies discovered that a video of the incident had been posted to Goska’s Instagram account. While the video had been deleted, deputies spoke with a student who stated that they had seen the video and that it showed Goska pointing a firearm at the victim.
With this new information, deputies again spoke to Goska, who then provided his cellphone and stated the firearm was in his bedroom closet. Deputies traveled to Goska’s residence and received consent to search his bedroom, where they located a 9 mm CANiK pistol and a magazine loaded with ammunition. After deputies located the pistol, Goska told deputies that he was just playing around, but confirmed that he had pointed the firearm at the victim and had carried it onto the school’s campus the day before.
Deputies arrested Goska for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, possession of a firearm on school property, and possession of a firearm by a minor. He was transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where he was later turned over to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice.
Top: Sean Goska Jr. (Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility mugshot)
Bottom: A 9mm CANiK pistol and ammunition recovered as evidence by deputies.
“If you bring a gun to school or point it at someone else, you will be arrested. It doesn’t matter if you think you were just playing around; we will not tolerate this behavior, and a 15-year-old playing with a gun is a recipe for disaster,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “I commend the students who spoke up and reported this to our school resource deputies so they could investigate. This is a great example of why our SRDs build rapport with our students. Parents, we don’t like arresting your children, but we have a zero-tolerance policy, so you need to be the Sheriff in your home and know what your child is doing.”
“When it comes to the safety of our students, it’s a top priority,” said Flagler Schools Superintendent LaShakia Moore. “Thanks to the ‘See Something, Say Something’ initiative taken by a student, others were safer as a result. If you bring a weapon on any of our campuses, you will face serious consequences. Our students, faculty, and staff will work in accordance with our laws to help keep everyone safe.”
If you see something, say something by calling 386-313-4911, notifying an SRD or school faculty, or submitting a tip through FortifyFL at getfortifyfl.com. Together, we can keep our schools safe.
