PALMETTO, BAY, Fla. (WSVN) — Police have arrested a 17-year-old student after they found a four-inch knife on him while he was at school in Palmetto Bay, Monday.
According to police, a parent who called anonymously said there will be a shooting at Palmer Trinity School and gave several student names, including the subject and the possible victim. Officials said the parent’s child tipped them off.
That’s when police responded to the school, interviewed the students and found the pocket knife inside 17-year-old Daniel Rafael Villacampa’s book bag.
“We cannot allow this to escalate to a level of violence,” said Miami-Dade Police Detective Alvaro Zabaleta.
Police said Villacampa threatened to take another classmate’s life.
He is now facing charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a weapon on school property.
According to the police report, Villacampa “said he was going to shoot the victim and stab him in the neck.”
Officials said the threats began via text message, over the weekend. “When something is placed on a text message, sending several messages, ‘I’m going to shoot you,’ ‘I’m going to stab you in the neck,’ those types of messages have to be taken very seriously,” Zabaleta said.
Police said, when they found the knife, Villacampa said, “I carry it all the time but never pull it out.”
Palmer Trinity School has since released a statement that reads in part, “The student was quickly removed from campus by MDCP. The situation has been resolved, and we are cooperating with local authorities. Palmer Trinity School is dedicated to preserving the safety and well-being of all of our students, faculty, and staff.”
Villacampa’s father declined to comment.
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