Charges Filed After Improper Storage Of Firearms Allows Teen To Flaunt Them On Snapchat

Date Added: May 24, 2018 9:40 pm

Andrew Gant
Office of Public Affairs & Media Relations

CHARGES FILED AFTER IMPROPER STORAGE OF FIREARMS ALLOWS TEEN TO FLAUNT THEM ON SNAPCHAT

Today, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office filed an affidavit with the State Attorney’s Office charging 41-year-old Heather Jo Lariscy of Edgewater with one count of unsafe storage of a firearm, a misdemeanor.

A 14-year-old male seen handling firearms in videos shared on social media platforms is also facing a charge of improper exhibition of a firearm, also a misdemeanor.

The incident occurred within the city of Edgewater. The guns belong to Jeff and Heather Lariscy. Jeff Lariscy was a reserve officer with the Edgewater Police Department and division chief of the city’s Fire & Rescue department. For those reasons, Edgewater PD requested the Sheriff’s Office take over the investigation into the case.

The Port Orange Police Department first became aware of the case on Wednesday after a parent of a student at Silver Sands Middle School reported Snapchat videos portraying juveniles handling firearms and ammunition. There were no threats made in the videos, no indications of any plans to bring any weapons to school, and it was determined the videos were not recorded at school, but at the Lariscy home in Edgewater.

Interviews with the parties involved revealed that Heather Lariscy picked up the two juveniles from school and brought them to the house. One of the juveniles went into the Lariscys’ bedroom and removed two long guns and ammunition from underneath a bed, where they were unsecured. The juveniles then recorded the Snapchat videos while posing with the firearms.

Heather Lariscy indicated she was unaware the guns were taken out of the bedroom and that the juveniles did not have permission to take them. She said she was the only adult home at the time of the incident.

After consulting with prosecutors and reviewing the facts of the case, the Sheriff’s Office submitted both charging affidavits to the State Attorney’s Office for review.