Florida Teen Faces Adult Charges Over Alleged Robbery Plot

A Florida middle school student faces adult charges after deputies say they found homemade firearms, explosive material, and a robbery plan built from digital messages and a school tip.

Quick Take

Authorities say a tip led them to two St. Johns County middle school students and a suspected robbery plot.
Deputies say a search of the 14-year-old’s home turned up three homemade firearms, ammunition, and zip ties made into handcuffs.
One teen is being charged as an adult, while the younger teen faces a robbery conspiracy charge.
Reporting says investigators also found explosive material, homemade ammunition information, and extremist reading material.

How the Case Unfolded

St. Johns County deputies say the case began in late April after the St. Johns County School District received a tip about a threatening text conversation between two middle school students. ABC News reported that the tip led investigators to an April 16 Telegram exchange in which the teens allegedly discussed robbing someone at gunpoint and splitting the money. The alleged target was an unknown person behind a grocery store.

Authorities say the arrest grew out of a wider investigation, not one isolated message. ABC News described the probe as “complex,” and WUSF reported that deputies used an anonymous tip through the FortifyFL reporting tool before searching the boys’ homes. That matters because these cases often move fast once a school tip, digital chat, and home search all line up. The public usually sees the arrest before any full court test of the evidence.

What Deputies Say They Found

At the 14-year-old’s home, deputies say they found three homemade firearms, ammunition, and zip ties fashioned into handcuffs. ABC News reported that two of the seized firearms, both shotguns, fired a projectile during a functionality test, while a third pistol did not. WUSF also reported that deputies found makeshift firearms built from hardware-store items, information on homemade ammunition, and materials about explosives at the northwest St. Johns County home.

The same reporting says investigators recovered more than just weapon parts. ABC News reported “items of concern,” including suspected explosive components, handwritten notes on firearm construction, and a tactical vest with white supremacy drawings. WUSF said the sheriff’s office also found copies of materials promoting the racist Great Replacement Theory. Those details do not prove every alleged act by themselves, but they help explain why deputies treated the case as a serious threat, not a prank or schoolyard bragging.

Why the Charges Draw Attention

The 14-year-old, Julian Davis, has been charged as an adult with multiple firearms and explosives offenses, along with conspiracy to commit robbery with a firearm. The 13-year-old also faces conspiracy to commit a robbery with a firearm. Action News Jax reported that the teens were charged after allegedly creating homemade bombs and guns and planning to use the weapons in a robbery. That combination of age, weapons, and alleged planning is what makes the case stand out.

The case also fits a familiar Florida pattern: a school or anonymous tip, digital messages, a search, and then major felony charges involving minors. The public record provided here does not include the full arrest affidavit, search warrants, or forensic lab files, so some details still rest on law-enforcement summaries and later media reports. Even so, the core allegations are clear: deputies say the students discussed a robbery, built homemade weapons, and stored evidence that pointed to more than casual talk.