Parkland junior cites scrutiny after shooting at gun range

A Marjory Stoneman Douglas student says he was interrogated by school administrators and local law enforcement after posting on social media that he fired an assault weapon at a gun range with his dad.

Kyle Kashuv said he was questioned Monday by a school security officer and a Broward County deputy in what he says was an attempt to intimidate him. “I can now check off being wrongfully questioned by law enforcement off my bucket list,” tweeted Kashuv, a junior.

On Tuesday, Kashuv told Fox News host Tucker Carlson that the meeting “was a clear attempt to intimidate me, and they used very, very, very harsh intimidation tactics.”

After he was first questioned by a school security officer, a Broward deputy entered the room and sat behind the teen, Kashuv said. The deputy began asking Kashuv who the rifle belonged to and who he went shooting with. Kashuv said he asked if he could record the interview and was told he could not. The teen said he felt as if the deputy were trying to get him to incriminate his father.

The Broward County School District got involved after hearing safety concerns from some parents and students, district spokeswoman Nadine Drew said. “District staff and school administrators looked into this matter and following a review, determined the tweet messages to be non-threatening,” she said in a statement. “In addition, school administrators did talk with the student.”

Kashuv said he feels his constitutional rights were violated.

Greg Pittman, a history teacher at Stoneman Douglas, defended the district’s decision on Twitter, saying the photos raised concerns.

Kashuv said the gun debate has become so prominent since 17 people were killed Feb. 14 that he “felt it was important to learn about the physical mechanics of it. I made sure to post about it because I wanted to show people it’s people that are the issue, not guns.”