14-Year-Old Arrested for Threats to Kill
BUNNELL, Fla. — The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a 14-year-old student at Matanzas High School for sending threats to two other students, in which he displayed a firearm and threatened to shoot the victims during an online argument outside school hours.
On the afternoon of Feb. 23, school resource deputies at the high school were notified by the dean of an altercation that occurred between three boys during a lunch period, resulting in the three students having to be separated. The dean reported that while reading statements completed by two of the boys after the incident, he noticed they both mentioned the third boy involved, Lincoln Cottle, had earlier threatened them with a firearm during an argument that occurred over Snapchat the night before. The dean also told deputies that he spoke to Cottle about the threats, who told him the firearm was real and was his father’s range gun.
Deputies spoke to the two victims, who each stated that Cottle had sent them a video over Snapchat of himself holding a firearm. One of the boys told deputies that Cottle stated he would put a bullet through his stomach, while the other reported that Cottle told him he would put a bullet in his head. The threats occurred after Cottle called a girl a “hoe,” which upset the two victims.
One of the victims also told deputies that another boy could also attest to threats made by Cottle. Deputies spoke to the witness, who explained that he heard Cottle say during the altercation at lunch that he would shoot the boys in the stomach after school.
Deputies arrested Cottle, 14, of Flagler Beach, for written or electronic threats to kill or do bodily injury. He was transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility for processing. After being booked into the detention facility, he was transported to the Volusia Family Resource Center and turned over to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice.
Lincoln Cottle (Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility mug shot)
“The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office investigates any threat to kill, and we take every threat seriously,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “Regardless of age, threatening to kill someone is a felony and is not something that we tolerate. We don’t like arresting your child, so I urge parents to be the Sheriff in your home and not only teach your children these threats can have serious consequences but also know how they are communicating and what they are saying online. Teach them the proper way to handle disagreements. By teaching them how to properly solve disagreements, you will give them needed life skills for their entire life.”
“Student safety is a priority that doesn’t end at the classroom door. Through our close partnership with FCSO, we investigate every report with urgency,” said Flagler Schools Superintendent LaShakia Moore. “We ask parents to help us reinforce a critical message: threats are never a joke or a game; they carry life-altering consequences. If your student has a concern on campus, please have them reach out immediately to their teacher, an administrator, a school resource deputy, or use the FortifyFL app. Our priority is ensuring every student is safe and supported on every Flagler Schools campus.”
Students and parents are encouraged to report any threat immediately by calling 386-313-4911, notifying an SRD or school faculty, or submitting a tip through FortifyFL at getfortifyfl.com.###