WALTON COUNTY, Fla. — A 12-year-old is to be tried as an adult after a Walton County grand jury indicted him in connection with a stabbing incident at a middle school, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office announced.
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The grand jury indicted the juvenile on charges of attempted first-degree premeditated murder, two counts of aggravated battery while wearing a mask, possession of a weapon on school property while wearing a mask, and tampering with evidence.
According to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO), the juvenile is said to have armed himself with a knife before leaving home on March 24 and brought a mask with the intent to carry out an attack at Walton Middle School.
Investigators said the juvenile entered a restroom upon arrival, put on the mask, and then went into a hallway while armed.
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He is said to have attacked individuals at random, reportedly stabbing two students and a school employee and causing serious injuries.
The incident was captured on the school’s surveillance system, and witnesses inside the school reportedly provided real-time information to 911 dispatchers, assisting responding law enforcement.
After fleeing the campus, the juvenile is said to have thrown the weapon into a retention pond. The WCSO later recovered the knife as part of the investigation.
The juvenile was taken into custody shortly after the incident by the Office of the City Marshal, DeFuniak Springs Police Department, and the Walton County Sheriff’s Office.
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The Walton County Sheriff’s Office said it continues to work with the Office of State Attorney, First Judicial Circuit of Florida as the case moves forward.
The case remains ongoing. The Walton County Sheriff’s Office has identified the juvenile; however, Niceville.com does not publish the names of minors involved in criminal cases, even when that information is publicly released.
