Lutz man who threatened school shooting on Snapchat days after Uvalde gets probation

A Lutz man was sentenced to probation Wednesday after he had pleaded guilty to threatening a school shooting four days after a gunman killed 21 people at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

Corey Anderson, 18, posted a photo of himself on Snapchat holding guns and wearing a tactical vest with the caption, “Hey Siri directions to the nearest school,” according to an affidavit. Someone reported the post to the FBI, who passed it along to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

An investigation determined the weapons were airsoft guns. Anderson had concealed the orange tips of the muzzles in the photo. He told deputies the Snapchat story was just a “dark joke” for his friends, according to records.

Shana Lynn Anderson said her son does not have a history of mental illness and has never been in trouble with law enforcement, according to court documents. Anderson is “slightly autistic,” she said, but not enough to affect him daily. Deputies did not find any real guns in the family’s home.

Circuit Judge Laura E. Ward sentenced Anderson, who was charged with threatening to conduct a mass shooting or act of terrorism, to 18 months of probation. He is banned from posting about weapons on social media and must complete 50 hours of community service and a mental health evaluation, records show.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with the name of the judge who sentenced Anderson.