Teen arrested for threatening to shoot up Publix

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — A 14 year-old is facing charges for posting a threat to social media, police say.

According to the arrest report, Boynton Beach Police responded to North Seacrest Boulevard in reference to a threat to commit a mass shooting.

A Publix Supermarket employee was the one who reported an Instagram account that posted on the Publix corporate Instagram page saying "I'm gonna commit a mass shooting at the public [sic] in Boynton Beach Florida," according to the report. The name on the social media page was linked back to the 14-year-old police arrested.

During questioning, the teen fully admitted to making the post saying it was a joke, police say.

"Threatening to commit a mass shooting, whether it be on social media or through any form of communication, is not a joke," a spokesperson for the police department said in a statement. "The Boynton Beach Police Department will vigorously investigate any claim of harm against our community, and arrest any individual responsible. We urge parents to have conversations with their children about the severity of this."