Belleview High School student arrested after allegedly threatening school shooting on Snapchat

A 16-year-old Belleview High School student was arrested by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) after he allegedly threatened to conduct a school shooting in a video that he posted on Snapchat. On Thursday, at approximately 7 p.m., multiple concerned residents contacted the sheriff’s office after locating a video on the Snapchat app. MCSO reviewed the video, which showed a teenager, later identified as Jesse Jacob Vargas, standing in a room. In the video, Vargas stated, “I’m not going to lie, I’m tired of being stereotyped as a school shooter. I mean, if that’s what everybody wants…” As he finished speaking, he raised his hand to show a firearm. Jesse Jacob Vargas According to MCSO, some of the residents who had viewed the video were able to identify Vargas and informed the sheriff’s office that he is a student at Belleview High School. Deputies responded to Vargas’ residence and made contact with Vargas and his parents. After deputies showed the Snapchat video to his parents, they advised that Vargas only had access to an Airsoft gun that looked like an assault rifle. The Airsoft gun that Jesse Jacob Vargas was holding in the Snapchat video (Photo courtesy of the Marion
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