VOLUSIA COUNTY, FL — In the aftermath of her 11-year-old son’s arrest for allegedly making threats against Campbell Middle School in Daytona Beach, Nickole Brown is breaking her silence — not to deflect blame, but to offer a raw and deeply personal account of the struggles her family has faced behind the scenes.
“My son is not a violent person,” Brown said in an emotional statement. “He’s a B student. He’s smart. He’s still learning how to handle his feelings. But he’s been failed — especially by his father.”
According to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, the boy was taken into custody after allegedly posting a threatening message on TikTok. The arrest has sparked intense public scrutiny, with social media users quick to weigh in — often harshly. Brown says the online backlash is not only cruel but misinformed.
“If you can’t look up public records on a child, he shouldn’t be blasted online,” she said. “He’s already facing consequences, and I believe those consequences are appropriate to help him understand the seriousness of what happened. But he’s still a child. He needs guidance, not public shaming.”
Brown revealed that her son has been in mental health counseling since kindergarten, a journey marked by roadblocks due to split custody. “A lot of mental health services require both parents to agree if there’s a custody arrangement,” she explained. “His father has consistently hindered him from getting the help he needs. And when one parent refuses to cooperate, the child suffers.”
She described her son’s emotional development as stunted by the absence of a consistent male figure. “He doesn’t know how to express his feelings. I’ve done everything I can to get him the help he needs, but without support from his father, it’s been an uphill battle. He’s still learning how to be in the world.”
Brown made it clear that she does not condone her son’s actions. “I’ve let him know how disappointed I am. He’s way too smart for this. But I also know that he’s still developing. He’s not a monster — he’s a child who’s been let down.”
She also addressed what she called a “false narrative” being pushed by her son’s father’s girlfriend. “She’s out here making it seem like he’s the best dad in the world. He’s not. He hasn’t been there for our son. And that absence plays a big role in what happened.”
Brown’s statement paints a picture of a mother fighting against systemic barriers, fractured family dynamics, and the emotional toll of raising a child with unmet needs. She hopes the community will look beyond the headlines and recognize the deeper issues at play — the challenges of co-parenting, the limitations of mental health access, and the vulnerability of children caught in the middle.
“This isn’t just about one incident,” she said. “It’s about a system that makes it hard for single parents to get their children the help they need. It’s about a boy who’s still learning how to be in the world. And it’s about the adults who are supposed to show up — and don’t.”
As the legal process continues, Brown says she remains committed to her son’s growth and accountability. “He has to learn other ways to express his feelings. And I believe this consequence will help him understand that this stuff is serious. But he deserves a chance to learn — not a lifetime of judgment.”
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