12-year-old Isabella Galvin Charged With 2nd-degree Threatening To Kill Fellow Students At Palatka Junior-Senior High School In Florida

Galvin was taken into custody in connection with a hand written notebook threatening to kill fellow students whose names appeared in the book.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

October 20, 2025

Palatka, Florida - On Friday, the Putnam County Sheriff's Department reported in a press release that deputies arrested Isabella Galvin, 12, at Palatka Junior-Senior High School after a notebook containing names of students along with written threats to harm them was found in a girl's bathroom at school. 

The Putnam County  Sheriff's Office didn't release a motive why Galvin was threatening to kill her fellow students, but in most cases, a victim of constant school bullying, and the alleged failure of school administrators to prevent further bullying resorts to threats or acts of violence against those who bully the victim. In this case, a motive has not been made public by local authorities or school administrators.

Inside the notebook was a statement indicating that it belonged to Galvin. When asked, Galvin told deputies the notebook belonged to her.

Galvin was arrested for a written threat to kill, a second-degree felony in Florida. She was taken to the Putnam County Sheriff's Office, booked for a criminal charge and transferred to a Department of Juvenile Justice facility.

Under Florida state statutes, the name of a juvenile and publication of a photo is allowed, if the crime is such that an adult would be charged with a felony. The sheriff's office reserves the right to release this information when there is a threat to students and schools, as parents and the public have a right to know.

As a precaution, the school contacted all parents and guardians whose students were listed in the notebook.

The Palatka Junior-Senior High School has has a history of students making threats, on April 25, 2025, the Putnam County Sheriff's Office arrested Josiah Alston, 14, a suspended student for sending an email to a school administrator, which the email was registered to another student, threatening to shoot up the school. 

Alston was charged with written threat to kill, a second-degree felony in Florida.