On May 15, 2023, Walton County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Deputies were notified of a tip submitted to Fortify FL outlining Freeport Middle School student Ryan Ciupak, 13, making threats to harm others.
The School Administration at Freeport Middle School was made aware and immediately removed Ciupak from the premises and he was not allowed to return to school.
Walton County Sheriff’s Deputies deputies were dispatched to the student’s home to make sure there was no access to weapons and no immediate threat was present.
An investigation was launched and Ciupak’s parents brought Ryan in for an assessment the following day where he admitted to making a “kill list” and sharing it with students at the school.
The parents of the students on the list were notified the same day.
Several witnesses were interviewed during the course of the investigation acknowledging Cuipak had made verbal threats in the past and confirming they had seen the list.
On May 19th Cuipak was arrested and charged with making written threats to harm others, a second-degree felony.
He was booked into Walton County Jail and then transported to the Department of Juvenile Justice in Crestview.
Walton County Sheriff’s Office is not publishing the mugshot of the student but has chosen to publicize his name based on the lack of criminal history while taking into consideration the seriousness of the charge he faces.
