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Florida 13-Year-Old Arrested After ChatGPT Query About Killing Classmate

A school monitoring alert from Gaggle prompted a swift police response, renewing scrutiny of student surveillance.

Overview

  • Gaggle flagged the message typed on a school-issued device at Southwestern Middle School in Deland, alerting a school resource officer.
  • Volusia County deputies arrested the student and booked him into juvenile custody, with authorities not disclosing specific charges.
  • The teen told investigators he was "just trolling" a friend who had annoyed him, according to local reports.
  • Video shared on social media shows the student in restraints, and the sheriff’s office urged parents to warn kids after calling it "another 'joke' that created an emergency on campus."
  • The episode underscores districts’ growing use of tools like Gaggle, which privacy advocates criticize for false alarms and intrusion into students’ lives.