Jacksonville teen arrested after threat to shoot up San Marco day care, police say

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A threat to shoot up a San Marco day care put three different police departments from across the country on high alert.

Law enforcement agencies in San Marcos, TX, San Marcos, CA, and San Marco in Jacksonville responded to an anonymous tip about the vague threat made in a chat function on Xbox.

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According to a newly released police report, a Jacksonville 15-year-old was arrested for making a terroristic threat.

Action News Jax’s Robert Grant spoke with the teen’s mother. She said they just moved here from Portland, Maine, and her son doesn’t know San Marco.

“I’m confused because my son doesn’t have friends. He doesn’t know Jacksonville. He doesn’t know people. We came from Maine,” Ivite Paulino said.

San Marcos police in Texas got an anonymous tip about the threat Wednesday morning. Officers alerted the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, San Marcos in California, and the FBI.

RELATED STORY: Teen arrested, accused of threatening to shoot up Jacksonville day care

According to the report, detectives with SMPD tracked the IP address back to Mission Pointe Apartments on Biscayne Boulevard in North Jacksonville. JSO arrested the teen Wednesday afternoon.

“When that call comes in that might otherwise have been in the storage for the next day — it no longer sits there. It’s handled immediately. Everyone knows now that delays result in innocent deaths,” Dale Carson, Action News Jax’s Law and Safety Expert, said. Carson has years of experience as a former FBI agent and officer with Miami police.

San Marcos Police beefed-up presence at its area day cares Wednesday.

Action News Jax found at least five day cares in the San Marco area. We asked JSO if they also increased presence, but we have not yet heard back.

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