Edinburgh boy 'threatened to stab' Fortnite game rival, 12 - then 'waited for him outside school gates'

The boy's terrified mum said they had been friends but fell-out playing the popular game in which players fight each other in battle arenas online.

A terrified mother has told how a boy threatened to stab her son after a row over the Fortnite computer game.

She said the young thug lay in wait close to her 12-year-old boy’s school sending a video of himself brandishing a craft knife.

The mum-of-one raced to Broughton High School last Wednesday lunchtime and claims she dialled 999 only to be told it wasn’t an emergency by a call handler.

“The police refused to come out then and they refused to come out the next day - they said it’s an education problem, not a police problem,” added the fuming 40-year-old from Pilton.

She said the boys had been friends but fell-out playing the popular game last Tuesday night in which players fight each other in battle arenas online.

“The other boy’s got autism and he started screaming down the headset so my son blocked him and he couldn’t handle it.”

One of her son’s friends at Broughton got a threatening text message thought to be from the other boy, a pupil at Drummond Community High School, with knife and skull emojis.

It read: “Right see the morn at lunch he getting stabbed [sic].”

The mum said: “The other boy was Facetiming, threatening him with a knife. He was waiting in Inverleith Park where they walk through on lunch.

“If it wasn’t for my son’s friend telling him when he got the message, then I think my son would’ve been stabbed.

“Kids can have fights and fall-out and make up but this is a whole other level. It’s psychotic to take a knife and walk all the way to another school.”

The mum said it took multiple calls to the police and for her to visit Drylaw police station on Friday.

“I’m hurt and angry. My son is scared and so am I,” added the senior care and support worker.

“The other boy’s mum is angry because she didn’t even know anything about it until I told her.”

The threatened boy’s mum has since told her son to stay in school during break and lunchtimes over fears for his own safety.

“Broughton have been great and really supportive but the other boy’s mum told me he should be monitored at Drummond and yet was allowed to leave.

“I’m so angry with the police and his school. They’re punishing my son for something somebody else has done,” she added.

She said she was left “fuming” after being told by police on Friday the boy was later found with the knife yet charges only relate to texts allegedly sent.

A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “Police Scotland can confirm that a 12 year old boy was charged with telecommunications offence on Friday 25 October after an incident was reported to police on Wednesday 23 October.”

An Edinburgh City Council spokesman said school staff “acted immediately” .

He added: “The safety of staff and pupils is of the utmost importance and schools always educate young people about the risks and consequences of carrying weapons.

“The school has liaised closely with the police during their investigation and it would be inappropriate to comment further."