Florida Man Charged With Threatening To Commit Elementary School Shooting

Photo of Estaban Del Valle. Photo by Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office

With school shootings persisting as a major issue in the United States, how can a disgruntled parent threaten to commit one, especially at his son’s own school? According to a press release posted to the official website for the city of Tampa on September 13, 2024, the Tampa Police Department charged 35-year-old Estaban Del Valle with Written or Electronic Threat to Conduct a Mass Shooting or Act of Terrorism after a threat he made against Gorrie Elementary School.

The press release says that on Friday morning around 7:45 a.m., Del Valle sent a text to a witness he shares a son with, threatening to shoot up his son’s school, specifically targeting the teachers, after his son was suspended. The witness quickly contacted the child’s school, and the school notified the Tampa Police Department.

Detectives reportedly used “every available resource” to gather the necessary evidence and confirm the allegation. They ultimately verified that the threatening text did originate from Del Mar’s phone. So, with the help of the Clearwater Police Department, he was arrested at his Clearwater home and taken to the Pinellas County Jail on September 14.

The official arrest details show that Del Mar was booked on September 17 and charged with a second degree felony. He is still currently being held in Falkenburg Road Jail with no bond set. 

As a result of this averted potential crisis, Chief Lee Bercaw said, “Anyone who makes the choice to threaten a school is not only breaking the law, but they are also attempting to cause fear and disruption in our community…No student or teacher should ever feel unsafe going to school…this type of behavior is not tolerated in the Tampa Bay area…”. He also underscored how law enforcement is devoted to holding such “offenders accountable to the fullest extent of the law”.

Article by Ema Tibbetts